Lab news · NY · Updated October 14, 2026
New York well-lab news
Direct answer
Dated notes from agency pages for new-york well owners. Public-system MCLs do not bind a private well. Bacteria or nitrate on a lab sheet still goes to the health department.
| What to test | Why | EPA MCL / SMCL or guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Total coliform | CDC’s annual floor for a private well. A present result is a pathway warning, not a shopping trip. | Present/absent — any detected coliform is a positive until a clean retest CDC well-testing guidelines |
| Nitrate as N | Same yearly panel as coliform. A result at or above the public-system line goes to the health department. | 10 mg/L as N (EPA public-system MCL) EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations |
| pH | CDC annual floor. Low pH is a corrosion clue, not an iron-filter job. | 6.5–8.5 SMCL (aesthetic guideline) EPA secondary standards |
| Total dissolved solids | CDC annual floor with coliform, nitrate, and pH. | 500 mg/L SMCL (aesthetic guideline) EPA secondary standards |
Dated notes from EPA and NYS DOH. Not headlines. Public-system MCLs do not bind a private well.
Dated notes from agency pages, not invented headlines. Public-system MCLs do not bind a private well unless the item is about a private-well statute. Bacteria or nitrate on a lab sheet still goes to the health department. This site is not medical advice.
18 May 2026
FederalEPA proposed keeping the PFOA and PFOS maximum contaminant levels at 4.0 ppt for public water systems, and letting requesting systems take until April 26, 2031 instead of April 26, 2029. The comment period closed July 20, 2026. EPA last updated that page July 23, 2026.
This is a proposal, not a final rule. It does not require a private-well owner to test or treat. Public-system MCLs do not bind a kitchen tap on a private well.
18 May 2026
FederalIn the same window, EPA separately proposed rescinding MCLs for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (GenX), and the Hazard Index mixture. That page was live when this note was written and is linked from the extension-rule page.
That action is still a proposal. Do not read it as those limits being gone. A private-well owner is not under that public-system rule either way.
14 October 2026
New YorkNYS DOH's private-wells page still tells owners to test at least once a year for bacteria and for other contaminants every 3 to 5 years. The same page says to test for E. coli and coliform after disinfection or maintenance, after floods, and when the water looks, smells, or tastes different. Contact the local health department for advice. The March 22, 2024 well-testing release names late spring or early summer as the best time to sample.
That is NYS DOH guidance for private wells, not a statewide sampling statute at sale. Use an ELAP lab certified for potable water. If coliform or nitrate fails, take the sheet to the local health department.
14 October 2026
New YorkFact Sheet #3 still requires every residential sample to be analyzed by an ELAP laboratory certified for potable water. It recommends coliform every year after the new-well panel. The published comparison lines include coliform (any positive result), nitrate (10 mg/L as N), nitrite (1 mg/L as N), lead (0.015 mg/L), and arsenic (0.01 mg/L). The sheet states those MCLs are based on public water supply requirements and are also recommended for individual residential systems.
Those numbers are comparison lines, not a private-well statute. EPA uses the same nitrate and arsenic concentrations as public-system MCLs. A present coliform or a nitrate at or above 10 mg/L as N still goes to the local health department.
NYS DOH Fact Sheet #3: recommended residential water quality testing
14 October 2026
New YorkNYS DOH's Private Well PFAS Testing and Mitigation Rebate Pilot Program still lists limited free PFAS testing, using EPA Method 537.1 version 2, in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester when applications are open. Rebates for treatment or a public-water connection are available only after a program result at or above New York's public-system PFOA or PFOS standard of 10 ng/L.
That is a limited county-window PFAS path, not a yearly bacteria kit and not a statewide free test. Public-system PFAS numbers do not bind a kitchen tap. Bacteria or nitrate still goes to the local health department.
NYS DOH: Private Well PFAS Testing and Mitigation Rebate Pilot Program
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See also the New York lab inventory, certified labs by state, and the homepage.