Well water testing in Oakland County, Michigan (2026)
Oakland County has more homes on private wells than any other county in the US, an estimated 83,000 households by EPA’s 2020 model. It also has one of the cheapest walk-up labs in the country: the county Health Division tests a well’s bacteria for $12. Here is how to use it, what it doesn’t cover, and what Oakland County’s geology says you should add.
The short version
- Buy bottles from the Health Division. Pontiac (1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Bldg. 34E, 248-858-1312) or Southfield (27725 Greenfield Rd., 248-424-7000). For a well in Oakland County: bacteria $12, partial chemistry $10, arsenic $16, lead/copper $24 on the fee schedule effective October 1, 2026.
- Every year, test bacteria plus partial chemistry ($22). That covers coliform/E. coli, nitrate, and nitrite, which is what the county recommends annually.
- Add arsenic ($16) if you never have. In historical state data, about a third of sampled Oakland County wells were over the federal arsenic limit. You can’t taste it.
- Need VOCs, PFAS, or a broader panel? The county lab doesn’t run those. Order from EGLE’s state lab, or use a mail-in kit that emails a PDF.
Oakland County Health Division lab
The Health Division’s Well and Water Services page says its lab is certified for drinking water analysis for coliform bacteria, partial chemistry (nitrate, nitrite, chloride, fluoride, sulfate), lead/copper, and arsenic. Bottles, forms, and instructions are sold at both health centers. The county recommends testing for bacteria, nitrate, and nitrite every year. General hours are Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Call before you bring a filled bottle back so you hit the lab’s sample days; bacteria is on a short clock.
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| Test | Well in Oakland County | Well outside the county | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacteriological (total coliform, E. coli) | $12 | $20 | The yearly must-do. |
| Partial chemical | $10 | $18 | Nitrate, nitrite, chloride, fluoride, sulfate. |
| Arsenic | $16 | Not listed | Required for new wells. See arsenic below. |
| Lead/copper | $24 | Not listed | Mostly from your plumbing, not the aquifer. |
The county charges a 3.5% fee on credit and debit cards and $2.50 per e-check order. Results are interpreted on the county’s Interpretation of Drinking Water Sample Results handout (rev. 11/6/25). Questions: Health Division 248-858-1280, health@oaklandcountymi.gov.
EGLE state lab, for what the county doesn’t run
Michigan’s EGLE Drinking Water Laboratory in Lansing sells homeowner kits by phone (517-335-8184) and ships them. New fees took effect October 1, 2026, per the EGLE testing fee schedule. Tests marked with an asterisk add a $13 sample-preparation fee per sample.
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| Test | Fee |
|---|---|
| Total coliform & E. coli | $23 |
| Nitrate & nitrite | $41 |
| Partial chemistry | $66 + $13 prep |
| Arsenic | $15 + $13 prep |
| Uranium | $15 + $13 prep |
| Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) | $147 |
| PFAS | $320 |
For basic bacteria, nitrate, and arsenic, the county lab is far cheaper. EGLE is the in-state path for VOCs and PFAS. See the Michigan page for EGLE’s drop-off hours and the no-Friday bacteria rule.
A certified drop-off near western Oakland County
If you’re near the Livingston County line, Livingston County’s health department lists Brighton Analytical (2105 Pless Dr., Brighton, 810-229-7575) as a certified drinking water lab. Its posted prices: Basic Water Check $95 (arsenic, nitrate, total coliform and E. coli), partial chemistry $160, complete metals for private wells $165. Its page says bacteria is now accepted Fridays until noon. It’s pricier than the county desk, so it mostly makes sense when a lender or builder named it, or you want one stop for metals. Call to confirm it takes your sample before you fill a bottle.
For any other lab, use EGLE’s certified lab lists and call. We only list labs we could verify, and we skip anyone who sells water treatment.
What’s in Oakland County groundwater
Arsenic. A USGS fact sheet with the Health Division looked at historical state test records (mostly 1983–1997): 663 of 1,988 sampled Oakland County wells, about 33%, were over today’s 10 µg/L limit. High wells turned up across the county, in the glacial drift, the Marshall Sandstone, and the Coldwater Shale, with a top reading of 221 µg/L. The Health Division recommends all private well owners test regularly for arsenic. MDHHS’s schedule for Michigan wells is every 3–5 years, and sooner if you never have.
Nitrate and chloride. The same USGS summary found about 1% of wells over the nitrate limit (10 mg/L) and about 6% over the 250 mg/L secondary standard for chloride. The county’s handout names road de-icing salt and septic effluent among chloride sources. Both are in the $10 partial chemistry.
PFAS. Michigan’s PFAS response team (MPART) has active Oakland County sites. Near Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, state sampling found PFAS above drinking water criteria in some homes, and those homes were offered filters. Around the former Ben Powell (Clarkston) Landfill in Independence Township, 44 private wells were sampled and 6 had detections below criteria. If you live near either, call the site lead on that page before paying for your own test. Otherwise, PFAS is an EGLE ($320) or certified-lab test, and MDHHS suggests testing at least once.
Lead. In a well, lead mostly comes from the home’s plumbing. The county’s $24 lead/copper bottle covers it.
Historical numbers describe the county, not your lot. Arsenic can change from one well to the next, so only your own test tells you.
New wells and home sales
New and replacement wells. Oakland County’s revised Article X (well construction and aquifer protection, effective December 1, 2025) requires safe results for coliform bacteria, nitrate, and arsenic before a drinking water well is approved, unless the permit says otherwise. The samples must go to a Michigan-certified lab. Well permits on the 2026 schedule: new well $260, replacement $238.
Home sales. We found no point-of-sale well test in Oakland County’s sanitary code (January 2026 revision), and Michigan has no statewide one. Testing at sale is driven by the lender and the purchase agreement. Ask the underwriter which lab and tests they accept before anyone collects a sample. Our home purchase / lender page covers chain of custody.
Mail-in kits that email a PDF
If you can’t get to Pontiac or Southfield during business hours, or want a wide panel in one box, independent mail-in labs ship to Oakland County. Listed prices checked October 21, 2026:
- Tap Score / SimpleLab Essential Well: $209.
- National Testing Laboratories WaterCheck Basic: $220. Next-day return shipping isn’t included, so budget for it on the bacteria bottle.
These cost more than the county’s $22 bacteria-plus-chemistry pair. They make sense when you want metals, VOCs, and minerals at once with a readable report. Ask a lender before using one for a sale.
Side by side for an Oakland County well
The table scrolls sideways on a phone.
| County Health Division | EGLE state lab | Brighton Analytical | Mail-in (Tap Score / NTL) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly bacteria + nitrate | $22 | $64 | $95 (with arsenic) | $209–$220 (broad panel) |
| Arsenic | $16 | $28 with prep | In the $95 package | Included |
| PFAS / VOCs | No | $320 / $147 | VOCs in the $585 Deluxe | Separate kits |
| Sales visit? | No | No | No | No |
Remind me to test my well every year
CDC and EPA say to test a private well at least once a year. We’ll send one email a year, about when your test is due, with your state’s lab options.
Thanks, you’re on the list. We’ll email you once a year when it’s time to test your well. Nothing else.
What to do in Oakland County
- Pick up bacteria and partial chemistry bottles in Pontiac or Southfield ($22 total). Call 248-858-1312 for the return days first.
- Add the $16 arsenic bottle if you haven’t tested in 3–5 years, or ever.
- Add lead/copper ($24) if your home has older plumbing or there’s a child or pregnancy in the house.
- Near the Waterford airport or the Clarkston landfill? Check the MPART site pages for state PFAS sampling. Elsewhere, test PFAS once through EGLE or a certified lab.
- Want a PDF without driving? Use Tap Score / SimpleLab or National Testing Laboratories. If anything is over a limit, call the Health Division, not a softener salesman.
Not this if…
- You’re on city water. Your utility tests it and publishes a yearly report.
- A lender named a lab and a chain-of-custody form. Use that lab.
- Someone offered a free in-home “test” that ends in a softener pitch. See the Home Depot free kit comparison.
Related: Michigan well testing · How to read a well water report · PFAS 533 / 537.1 · Home purchase / lender · back to the directory.