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Free Well Testing Events

Date: Ongoing
Status: Current

Program Overview

All Teton County, Wyoming residents using water from a private drinking water well or spring are solely responsible for its testing, operation, and maintenance to ensure the water is safe to drink.

Protect Our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH) received a second 2023 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Education grant that provides funding for free drinking water well testing resources to our community. We are now hosting two different free water quality testing events. Any Teton County, WY private well user can participate.

(The Town of Jackson performs regular water quality testing to ensure a safe water supply. Town residents can read the Annual Water Quality Report here.)

Teton Conservation District Well Test Program: Ongoing

Protect Our Water Jackson Hole & Teton Conservation District partner to offer free private drinking water well test kits

All Teton County, WY residents who rely on a private well or spring are now eligible for free Teton Conservation District (TCD) comprehensive drinking water quality test kits.

TCD has sold these test kits for $50 since 2013, now purchased from Analytical Services Laboratory for $117 each. The difference in cost is covered by Teton County property taxes.

Thanks to a Protect Our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Education grant, the test kits are now being offered free of charge through June 15, 2026 for the duration of grant funding, or until funds are exhausted.

TCD will continue to offer this service to Teton County residents after this program concludes, with kits being offered for $50.

What do the well test kits test for?

TCD chemical and bacteria test kits include arsenic, chloride, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, lead, pH, sodium, sulfate, total coliforms (bacteria), total dissolved solids, total hardness, and lead.

How to participate in the program:

  • Well test kits are available (by appointment only) at the Teton Conservation District office at 420 W. Pearl Ave, Jackson, WY.
  • To schedule a ten-minute appointment with David Lee, Water Resources Specialist, fill out the online form at tetonconservation.org/well-test-kits
  • After collecting your water samples, mail your kit to Analytical Services Laboratory for analysis via UPS. UPS shipping is included in the cost.

POWJH Well Testing Program: Spring and Fall

Spring 2025: How to Participate

1. Pick Up a Test Kit at the POWJH office: The WaterShed, 250 E. Broadway Ave.
(Pick-up times are yet to be determined)

Test kits are available in English and Spanish.

  • Monday, March 10
  • Tuesday, March 11
  • Wednesday, March 12

2. Collect the water sample in the morning.

Test kits must be analyzed the same day the sample is taken. POWJH will transport them to the Health Department lab.

3. Return the test kit on the Thursday you sign up for:

  • Thursday, March 13
  • Thursday, March 20
  • Thursday, March 27

8:00 am-1:00 pm at the POWJH office – The WaterShed, 250 E. Broadway Ave.

What am I testing for?

This POWJH well testing program will look at two contaminants of concern – nitrates and E. coli bacteria. Human health issues from nitrates include diminished oxygen-carrying capacity in our blood, and E. coli can cause mild to severe upset stomach, diarrhea, fever, and vomiting.

The EPA’s current standard for maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate in drinking water is 10 mg/L (or parts per million – ppm), established in 1962 to protect against blue-baby syndrome. While many studies from the mid-1900s were targeted at this potential outcome from elevated prenatal nitrate exposure, more current studies indicate that chronic exposure at lower levels starting at 2 mg/L may be associated with enhanced risk of digestive system cancers, such as colorectal cancer, and thyroid issues in adults, and adverse reproductive outcomes including low birth weight, preterm birth, or central nervous system defects in infants.

Learn more: Health Advisory for Nitrates in Drinking Water from POWJH – November 14, 2024

What’s included in the test kit?

Nitrate indicator test strips will be included in the test kits. If your nitrate strip shows 2 ppm or higher, please let POWJH staff know when you return your test kit. POWJH recommends further testing and will assist in coordinating a more comprehensive test kit for you from Teton Conservation District (TCD).

POWJH is also collaborating with Teton County Health Department (TCHD) to provide coliform bacteria test kits which will test for E. coli bacteria.

What do I do if I get a bad test result?

Due to the nature of aquatic contaminants like coliform bacteria and nitrate, it is best to get data to support the determination that a drinking water problem exists. Specifically, a comprehensive test from TCD, or a re-sample for coliform bacteria test from TCHD are the best next steps. If a problem is discovered, TCD, TCHD, and POWJH staff are here to help find the solution.

Additional Information & Resources

Why should I test my well water?

If you live in a rural area, your water supply likely comes from a groundwater drinking water well on your property. All residents using water from a private well are solely responsible for operating, testing, and maintaining their well to ensure the water is safe to drink.

In 2012, 1 in 8 drinking water tests from private wells in Teton County, WY tested unsafe = positive for total coliform bacteria.

Coliform bacteria are microbes found in human or animal waste, soil, and surface water. A water sample that is positive for total coliforms indicates that it is very possible that harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites might also be found in the water.

When should I test my well water?

  • Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend testing at least annually. knowyourwell.org | epa.gov
  • There is never a bad time to test your well. Spring and summer can be a good time because snowmelt and rain are seeping into the groundwater, increasing the
    likelihood of contamination from the surface.
  • Winter is another good time to test your well because groundwater flows are at their annual minimum, which has the potential to minimize dilution and increase the concentration of contaminants.
  • You’re pregnant, nursing, or have children in the household.
  • You notice a change in water taste, color, odor, or clarity.
  • You experience unexplained illnesses in your household.
  • Your (or a neighbor’s) septic system fails.
  • There was a chemical/oil spill nearby, a flood, a land disturbance, or a fire.
  • There is water accumulating around your well head.
  • You drilled a new well or are buying or selling a property.
  • The TCD Drinking Water Quality Mapping Project shows there is a problem in your neighborhood.

How can I test my well water?

  • POWJH will have free well-testing events in spring and fall (dates vary). Test kits include bacteria (E. coli) and nitrates.
  • Teton County Health Department has $20 bacteria tests. Contact: 307.733.6401, tetoncountywy.gov
  • Teton Conservation District has $50 chemical and bacteria test kits that include arsenic, chloride, fluoride, nitrate, nitrite, pH, sodium, sulfate, total coliforms (bacteria), total dissolved solids, total hardness, and lead. Other metals can be added for an additional fee. To obtain a well test kit, fill out the online form at tetonconservation.org/well-test-kits

How can I protect my drinking water well?

  • Avoid using or storing fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, vehicles/fuels, and other pollutants within 100 feet of your well.
  • Maintain your septic system to ensure it is working correctly. Leach fields can contaminate wells.
  • Make sure your well has a sealed, intact well cap and the visible casing is not corroded or damaged.
  • Do not keep livestock near your well.
    Install a barrier surrounding the well if wildlife frequents the area.
Best Practices

Do I need to test my water if I live in the Town of Jackson?

The Town of Jackson performs regular water quality testing to ensure a safe water supply and to satisfy current state and federal regulations. This information is required to be provided to residents each year in a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). Residents can read the current Annual Water Quality Report (CCR) on their website.

View Report

Past Program: May 2023 Well Testing Event

In May 2023, POWJH hosted its first free drinking water well testing event. We provided free test kits containing a bacteriological sample bottle for total coliform and E. coli from the Teton County Health Department, and a nitrate test strip. Teton County residents picked up test kits from Advanced Placement Environmental Science students and POWJH staff at Jackson Hole High School and received guidance on collecting their water samples. Over 150 test kits were distributed. It was clear that our community wants more opportunities to better understand their drinking water quality. This program was funded by our 2021 EPA Environmental Education grant, with a supporting grant from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.

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Related Projects

Education & Outreach

2021 EPA Environmental Education Grant

Date: 2022 - 2024
Status: Completed

POWJH received a nearly $100,000 EPA Environmental Education 2-year grant in 2022 and a $26,000 matching grant from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole. During 2023, POWJH staff used these funds to teach lessons to students about our community’s unique watershed ecology and water quality issues.

Community Solutions

Hoback Clean Water Initiative

Date: Ongoing
Status: Current

The time to act is now.
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