How Halifax is built
- Before 1961 22%
- 1961–1990 42%
- 1991–2000 14%
- 2001 or later 22%
Wells in Halifax
About one in five HRM residents (roughly 84,000 people) were on private wells in a 2017 provincial estimate, the largest number of private-well users of any Nova Scotia county.
Local program: Nova Scotia Health water-testing sites in HRM include Bayers Road Centre, Dartmouth General, Cobequid (Lower Sackville), St. Margaret's Square (Tantallon), the Mackenzie Building lab, Twin Oaks (Musquodoboit Harbour), Musquodoboit Valley and Eastern Shore Memorial (Sheet Harbour). HRM has also offered drinking water and showers to residents with dry wells during droughts, e.g., 2018 and 2022. Details
How testing works in Nova Scotia
Owners pay: Nova Scotia Health charges $34.50 for a bacteria test and $37.63 to $138.77 for chemical packages, with bottles at NSH locations. The province recommends testing for bacteria every year and for chemicals every five 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.
Well water testing in Halifax: common questions
Is well water testing free in Nova Scotia?
Owners pay: Nova Scotia Health charges $34.50 for a bacteria test and $37.63 to $138.77 for chemical packages, with bottles at NSH locations. The province recommends testing for bacteria every year and for chemicals every five 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 Halifax?
About one in five HRM residents (roughly 84,000 people) were on private wells in a 2017 provincial estimate, the largest number of private-well users of any Nova Scotia county.