Well water testing in Venango County, Pennsylvania
What official data says about private wells in Venango County, what to test for, and the state-certified labs nearby.
About 38% of the county's 53,119 residents. Rank 50 of 67 in Pennsylvania.
95% range 416 to 1,346 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 33 of 67 in Pennsylvania.
Highest potential (average indoor radon may be greater than 4 pCi/L). EPA says the map should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing.
Labs with an address in this county, from the official state lists on this site, matched by ZIP code.
What to test for in Venango County
Private wells are not regulated like public water: EPA advises owners to test their well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. Your state's own schedule:
We have not found a Pennsylvania schedule yet; EPA's yearly advice applies.
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 742 people using private wells in Venango County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 416 to 1,346). USGS describes this kind of estimate as useful "for broad screening of the population at risk", so it says nothing certain about any one well. Arsenic has no taste or smell: test for it by name.
Radon. EPA puts Venango County in Zone 1: highest potential (average indoor radon may be greater than 4 pCi/L). That map is about radon in indoor air, and EPA says it should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing. If radon is found in your air and you have a well, EPA suggests testing the water too: see radon in well water.
For anything specific to your home (farms nearby, old plumbing, a new baby, a smell or stain), use the which-tests checklist. When the results arrive, check your numbers against EPA's limits.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | 5,954 people (2010 base year) | |
| Erie County | 5,863 people (2010 base year) | |
| Montgomery County | 4,113 people (2010 base year) | |
| Mercer County | 4,108 people (2010 base year) | |
| Lancaster County | 3,680 people (2010 base year) | |
| Venango County (this county) | 742 people (2010 base year) |
USGS model estimate for broad screening, not a measurement of any well. Only a test tells you about your own well. Source: USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017), accessed 2026-11-01.
PFAS in public water near Venango County (public supply, not your well)
This is public water data, not your well. A private well draws its own groundwater, which can have more or less PFAS than the public supply nearby. Only a test of your well tells you.
Under EPA’s fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), public water systems sampled their water for 29 PFAS between Jan 3, 2023 and Jun 17, 2026. 4 public systems that serve ZIP codes mainly in Venango County reported results. 1 of them had at least one sample with PFOA or PFOS at or above 4.0 ng/L, and 2 had at least one of the 29 PFAS measured at or above its reporting level.
| Public water system | System ID | Highest PFOA (ng/L) | Highest PFOS (ng/L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titusville Municipal Water | PA6200051 | 5.7 |
4.0 ng/L (parts per trillion) is both EPA’s UCMR 5 reporting level for PFOA and PFOS and the number in EPA’s 2024 limit for public water. That limit is judged on a running annual average, so one sample at that level is not a violation. EPA proposed changes to its PFAS rules in May 2026: see PFAS in well water for the current status and who should test a well. To test your own well, find a lab certified for PFAS.
Method: a system counts for this county when it reports serving a ZIP code whose largest land part is in this county, so a system serving several counties counts in each. Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data (by state), file dated Oct 15, 2026; downloaded Nov 1, 2026.
Testing programs and help in Pennsylvania
- Penn State Extension runs a private water supply education program; it says over 200 private wells were tested in the 2025 program year through its webinars and workshops. Test kits are available through county Extension offices or Penn State's Agricultural Analytical Services Lab. source
- Penn State's lab sells its drinking water test kits through many county Extension offices. You collect the sample yourself and send the kit to the lab by overnight mail with payment. Bacteria samples must reach the lab within 30 hours of sampling, and the lab cannot accept bacteria samples on a Friday. It says tests are generally complete within 10 to 14 business days after the lab receives the sample. source
Buying a home with a well in Venango County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Venango County, PA
- VA. Test results are valid for 90 days from the date the local health authority certifies them, unless the local authority says otherwise. VA’s chapter names no list of contaminants: the water must meet the local health authority’s requirements, or EPA guidelines where it has none. Your lender may ask for specific tests.
- FHA. A well test is required in the situations FHA’s handbook lists, among others, and the report may not be more than 180 days old at disbursement.
- USDA. Guaranteed loans need a water quality test for a private well, done by the local health authority or a state-certified lab, and no more than 180 days old at closing.
Lenders can ask for more (extra tests, a particular lab, who takes the sample): ask your lender before you book. Federal rules as read on Nov 3, 2026 source 1 source 2 source 3. Full comparison: VA, FHA and USDA well water test requirements. Loan test kits sold by mail, with price and days to results: kits compared.
State-certified labs in Venango County
None of the labs on our Pennsylvania list has an address in Venango County. Labs elsewhere in the state may take samples by mail or courier: ask the lab, and check the hold time for bacteria before you send one.
Testing by mail from Venango County. Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory publishes these prices: Standard (WD01): total coliform, E. coli, pH, total dissolved solids $60; Agriculture / Septic (WD04): Standard plus nitrate-nitrogen $70; Aesthetics / Corrosivity (WD02): Standard plus hardness, alkalinity, corrosivity index, copper, iron, manganese $85 (checked 14 Nov 2026) source. All Pennsylvania state-lab prices and how to get a kit.
Labs on the Pennsylvania list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: A E Kirby Memorial Health Center (Wilkes-Barre), ABE Laboratories LLC (Bath), Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory (University Park), CWM Environmental (Kittanning), CWM Environmental - Pottsville (Pottsville), Cattaraugus County Department of Health Laboratory (Olean), Criterion Laboratories Inc (Bensalem), Garden State Laboratories Inc (Hillside) and 11 more. Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all Pennsylvania labs in the finder and filter by the test you need and by labs that take homeowner samples.
- USGS, Estimated use of water in the United States, county-level data for 2015 (Dieter et al., ver. 2.0, 2018)
- USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017)
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to county relationship file (lab ZIP codes to counties)
- PA DEP Accredited Labs Report - Drinking Water (chemistry + microbiology) (STALE - report dated 6/11/2024)
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