Well Water Testing in South Jersey
If your home is on a private well in South Jersey, nobody tests that water for you. Public water systems are tested by the utility. Private wells are the owner’s job. A Clear Alternative has tested and treated well water across eight New Jersey counties since 1991: Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem, Cape May, Mercer, and Monmouth.
Free in-home water analysis. Request it below or call 1-888-577-8088, answered 24/7.
What our free in-home well water analysis covers
A technician comes to your home and tests a sample of your well water on site. The visit usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. We test for:
- Hardness, measured in grains per gallon
- Iron and manganese, the usual cause of orange, brown, or black stains
- pH, since acidic water can corrode copper plumbing and fixtures
- Hydrogen sulfide, the rotten-egg smell
- Total dissolved solids and sediment or turbidity
You get the readings in writing, along with our recommendation. There is no charge and no obligation.
Some contaminants cannot be measured reliably in a kitchen. Bacteria, nitrates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), arsenic, radium, and PFAS need a certified laboratory. If your situation calls for lab testing, we will tell you which tests to order and help you read the results.
New Jersey Private Well Testing Act
New Jersey’s Private Well Testing Act (P.L.2001, c.40) requires the raw water from a private well to be tested when a property is sold. According to the New Jersey Department of Health, testing is also required every five years if the property is leased.
The required list, per the NJ Department of Health private well FAQ, includes total coliform bacteria, nitrate, iron, manganese, pH, volatile organic compounds, lead, arsenic, gross alpha, and the PFAS compounds PFNA, PFOA, and PFOS. In Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Gloucester, Monmouth, and Salem counties, mercury is on the list too.
Testing under the Act has to be done by a New Jersey certified laboratory. A Clear Alternative is not a certified lab, and our free analysis does not replace a Private Well Testing Act test. You can find certified labs through NJDEP DataMiner. Where our visit helps is afterward: if the lab report shows iron, manganese, or pH outside the recommended range, we can explain what it means and what equipment fits.
How often to test a private well
The NJ Department of Health encourages well owners to test even when the law does not require it:
| How often | What to test |
|---|---|
| At least every year | Total coliform, nitrates, pH |
| Every 5 years | Lead, VOCs, arsenic, manganese, iron |
| At least once | Mercury, gross alpha, uranium |
Test sooner if the taste, smell, or color of your water changes, after flooding, or after work on the well or pump.
What South Jersey well water tends to show
Many South Jersey wells draw from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer, and iron is one of the most common problems we see. Around the Pinelands, including much of Burlington County, groundwater is naturally acidic, often with a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. Hardness, sulfur odor, and sediment come up across all eight counties.
The EPA’s secondary drinking water standards recommend iron at or below 0.3 mg/L and manganese at or below 0.05 mg/L. These are guidelines for staining, taste, and odor. They are not health-based limits.
Turning test results into treatment
| Finding | Typical treatment |
|---|---|
| Iron or manganese | Iron removal filter sized to your readings |
| Hard water | Water softener |
| Low pH | Acid neutralizer |
| Rotten-egg odor | Sulfur filter or oxidation system |
| Bacteria | UV disinfection, after a lab confirms the problem |
| Drinking water concerns | Reverse osmosis |
See every system we install on our water treatment page, or read more about water testing.
Where we test
We test wells in all eight of our counties: Burlington, Camden, Atlantic, Gloucester, Salem, Cape May, Mercer, and Monmouth.
Why homeowners call A Clear Alternative
- In business since 1991, family-owned and based in Pennsauken, NJ
- NJ State Licensed Operators through T-4
- Free in-home water analysis with written results
- Sales, installation, and service from one company
- 24/7 emergency service
- Financing is available
Related reading: the 2026 homeowner’s guide to well water testing, how to test for iron in well water, and orange stains in your toilet bowl.
Preparing for your water analysis
You don’t need to do much. Let us know when you book whether you have any treatment equipment already, such as a softener, filter, or UV light, and where it sits in the plumbing. If possible, we take a sample before that equipment so we see what is coming out of the well. Have any past lab reports handy, including a Private Well Testing Act report from when you bought the house. Tell us what you have noticed: stains, smells, taste, spotting on dishes, or pressure changes. Those clues help us decide what else to look at.
Reading a well water lab report
Lab reports can be hard to follow. Each line usually shows the contaminant, your result, the unit (often mg/L, which is the same as parts per million), and the standard it is compared against. Primary standards cover health, such as bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, and lead. Secondary standards cover nuisance problems, such as iron, manganese, and pH. The NJ Department of Health lists the recommended pH range as 6.5 to 8.5. If any health-based result comes back high, follow the lab’s and your local health department’s guidance first. We are glad to go over the report with you and explain which treatment options make sense.
Frequently asked questions
Is your well water test really free?
Yes. The in-home water analysis is free, with no obligation. You get written readings and our recommendation.
Does your free test satisfy the NJ Private Well Testing Act?
No. The Act requires testing by a New Jersey certified laboratory. A Clear Alternative is not a certified lab. NJDEP DataMiner lists certified labs.
What do you test for at my home?
Hardness, iron, manganese, pH, hydrogen sulfide, total dissolved solids, and sediment or turbidity. Bacteria, nitrates, VOCs, arsenic, radium, and PFAS need a certified laboratory.
How long does the visit take?
Usually 30 to 45 minutes.
How often should I test my well?
The NJ Department of Health encourages testing for total coliform, nitrates, and pH at least every year, and for lead, VOCs, arsenic, manganese, and iron every five years.
Can you help me read a lab report?
Yes. Bring or send us your lab results and we will explain what they mean and whether treatment makes sense.
Contact A Clear Alternative
A Clear Alternative
9230 Collins Ave, Pennsauken, NJ 08110
Office: 856-663-8088 (Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm)
24/7 line: 1-888-577-8088
Request a free well water analysis
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