Alberta · Home health · checked September 28, 2026

Well water testing in Calgary

Almost all Calgary homes are on the City's municipal water system, so private wells are rare. If yours is, here's how testing works in Alberta.

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Filling a water-sample bottle at a farmhouse kitchen tap with the aerator removed, snowy fields and a barn outside

Private wells in Calgary

Rare

Testing cost

Free (Alberta Health Services)

Test for

Bacteria yearly or more

Extended panels

Nitrate, metals, more

How Calgary is built

Calgary's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Calgary's 379,710 houses. Before 1961: 10%, 1961–1990: 38%, 1991–2000: 17%, 2001 or later: 36%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 10%
  • 1961–1990 38%
  • 1991–2000 17%
  • 2001 or later 36%
Each house stands for one in ten of Calgary's 379,710 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row and duplex), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. Snowfall scales with heating degree-days. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), NRCan HOT2000 climate data.

Wells in Calgary

Almost all Calgary homes are on the City's municipal water system, so private wells are rare.

How testing works in Alberta

Alberta Health Services tests private well water free, for bacteria plus chemistry and trace metals; pick up bottles at AHS facilities. Test for bacteria twice a year and for chemistry every three years.

What to test for

  • Bacteria (total coliforms and E. coli): at least once a year, and after flooding, heavy rain or work on the well.
  • Nitrate, especially near farmland or septic systems.
  • Metals and naturally occurring contaminants such as arsenic, uranium or manganese when a well is new and every few years after, depending on local geology.

Our well water guide.

Well water testing in Calgary: common questions

Is well water testing free in Alberta?

Alberta Health Services tests private well water free, for bacteria plus chemistry and trace metals; pick up bottles at AHS facilities. Test for bacteria twice a year and for chemistry every three years.

How often should I test my well?

For bacteria, at least once a year and after flooding, heavy rain or well work; many health units recommend more often. Test chemistry when the well is new and every few years after.

Are private wells common in Calgary?

Almost all Calgary homes are on the City's municipal water system, so private wells are rare.

Well water testing near Calgary

Well water testing in Red Deer136 kmWell water testing in Lethbridge177 kmWell water testing in Sherwood Park279 kmWell water testing in Edmonton280 kmWell water testing in Kelowna399 km All 70 cities →

Sources

Checked September 28, 2026. Census figures are for the municipality (Alberta); climate data is NRCan's HOT2000 station Calgary International (8 km away).

Ask about well water testing in Calgary

Tell us your postal code and what you’re dealing with. We’ll reply with the right kind of certified professional or lab for your area, and which programs apply.

Email us what you’re planning, your postal code and the type of building (a house, a duplex or triplex, or a larger multi-unit building) — we’ll reply with registered service organizations for your area and which rebates apply.

Email dave@clickshift.ca

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