If your home uses a private well (not connected to a public water system), you are fully responsible for testing and maintaining your water supply. Unlike city water, private well water is not regulated or monitored by government agencies once installed — meaning safe water is up to you.
Annual testing is strongly recommended — especially for:
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Coliform bacteria, which can indicate contamination.
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Nitrates, which can be dangerous at elevated levels (especially for infants and pregnant people).
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Arsenic (a one-time test in both summer and winter can identify seasonal variation).
Local county health departments often offer testing resources and can help interpret results.
Call JKA, your well water testing contractor in Washington, today to schedule a water sample collection for certified testing! A JKA technician can visit your site an walk you through the potential pollutants and contaminants based upon your specific site conditions, and then can sample for the appropriate items. The sample will then be delivered to a certified laboratory for analysis.
What “annual testing” really means (and why it’s not overkill)
Washington health agencies recommend (but do not mandate) annual testing because groundwater conditions change over time, especially in areas with:
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Septic systems
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Agriculture or livestock
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Seasonal rainfall and flooding
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Construction or land disturbance
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Aging well casings or seals
Many homeowners only test when water tastes “off”—but by then, contamination may have existed for months or years.
Problems usually appear quietly—often without taste, smell, or visual warning.
All well water systems require a varying degree of Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services. Some wells only need to be periodically tested, have the tanks & electrical components checked, tuned up, and replaced as necessary. Some wells require periodic cleaning, brushing, and air jetting to maintain peak production. Some filter systems require only the addition of salt in the brine tank or UV bulbs in the purification process on an annual basis, while others require weekly to monthly testing, filtration adjustment, and chemical additions.
Starting in 2021, JKA Well Drilling & Pumps will begin offering for the first time a comprehensive O&M Program to provide periodic well water system operations & maintenance that’s tuned to you and your water systems needs.
Coliform bacteria: the early-warning system
Coliform bacteria are not usually dangerous on their own. In fact, they’re everywhere in nature—soil, plants, surface water, and even on your hands. What makes them important in a well test is what they signal, not what they do.
When coliform bacteria show up in a well sample, it almost always means that surface water or shallow groundwater has found a pathway into your well system. That pathway might be recent, seasonal, or long-standing—but it means your well is no longer fully isolated from contamination above ground.
Because coliform bacteria are easier to detect than more dangerous organisms, they function as a canary in the coal mine. If coliforms can get in, then other pathogens can get in—even if they aren’t detected yet.
This is the scenario well professionals see most often. A positive coliform test usually means surface water or shallow groundwater has found a way into the well. It does not automatically mean sewage or dangerous pathogens are present, but it does mean the well’s protective barrier has been compromised.
In many cases, the fix is straightforward. The well and household plumbing are disinfected through shock chlorination, the wellhead is inspected, and any obvious issues—like a cracked cap, missing sanitary seal, or poor grading around the casing—are corrected. Afterward, the water is retested to confirm the bacteria are gone.
In 2026, homeowners in Washington typically spend between $200 and $800 to resolve this type of issue, including chlorination, minor repairs, and follow-up testing. When addressed promptly, this is often a one-time event.
If you need well repairs, a well inspection, a well drilled, or any of the other well and water system related services we provide, you can email us 24 hours a day at service@jkawelldrilling.com, or call us at (360) 684-1932 (office hours are Monday-Friday, 730AM – 300PM).
