Lab news · PA · Updated August 31, 2026
Pennsylvania well-lab news
Direct answer
Dated notes from agency pages for pennsylvania 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, PA DEP, Penn State Extension, and PA DOH. Not headlines. Public-system PFAS 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.
June 2024
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania’s PFAS MCL Rule for public water systems is 14 ppt PFOA and 18 ppt PFOS. DEP’s June 2024 FAQ states that under the Pennsylvania Safe Drinking Water Act, DEP does not have the authority to regulate private water sources or enforce public-system standards on privately owned wells.
A private-well owner is not under that public-system MCL. If a lab sheet shows bacteria or nitrate, take it to the health department — not a filter brand.
PA DEP: PFAS MCL Rule FAQs (June 2024)
Penn State Extension: PFAS drinking water standards, testing, and treatment
22 July 2024
PennsylvaniaPenn State Extension’s PFAS page (updated July 22, 2024) says private-well PFAS testing should go through a PA DEP-accredited laboratory using EPA Method 537.1 or Method 533. Extension cites roughly $250–$500 per sample.
Use a DEP-accredited lab and those EPA methods if you want a PFAS result you can compare to a public-system number. This site does not invent a price.
Penn State Extension: PFAS drinking water standards, testing, and treatment
September 2025
PennsylvaniaPA DOH notes limited free private-well testing through Penn State Extension’s Drinking Water Program, funded by CDC Environmental Health Capacity. DOH’s PFAS and Private Well Water factsheet (updated September 2025) is live.
Ask about the Extension program before you pay for a panel. Health questions about a result belong with the county or PA DOH, not this directory.
PA DOH: PFAS and Private Well Water factsheet (September 2025)
Contaminant and parent pages
Related
See also the Pennsylvania lab inventory, certified labs by state, and the homepage.