British Columbia · Home health · checked September 28, 2026

Well water testing in Surrey

The City of Surrey says some areas of the city have no water mains, and homes and businesses there use private water wells. If yours is, here's how testing works in British Columbia.

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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 Surrey

Some rural areas

Testing cost

Paid, private lab

Test for

Bacteria yearly or more

Extended panels

Nitrate, metals, more

How Surrey is built

Surrey's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Surrey's 139,390 houses. Before 1961: 5%, 1961–1990: 34%, 1991–2000: 18%, 2001 or later: 43%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 5%
  • 1961–1990 34%
  • 1991–2000 18%
  • 2001 or later 43%
Each house stands for one in ten of Surrey's 139,390 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 Surrey

The City of Surrey says some areas of the city have no water mains, and homes and businesses there use private water wells.

How testing works in British Columbia

There's no free provincial program: use a qualified lab (search the CALA directory), which supplies the bottles. HealthLinkBC recommends testing for bacteria at least once a year and for chemistry when the well is new and annually after that.

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 Surrey: common questions

Is well water testing free in British Columbia?

There's no free provincial program: use a qualified lab (search the CALA directory), which supplies the bottles. HealthLinkBC recommends testing for bacteria at least once a year and for chemistry when the well is new and annually after that.

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 Surrey?

The City of Surrey says some areas of the city have no water mains, and homes and businesses there use private water wells.

Well water testing near Surrey

Well water testing in Delta13 kmWell water testing in Coquitlam14 kmWell water testing in Burnaby17 kmWell water testing in Langley17 kmWell water testing in Richmond22 km All 70 cities →

Sources

Checked September 28, 2026. Census figures are for the municipality (British Columbia); climate data is NRCan's HOT2000 station Pitt Meadows (13 km away).

Ask about well water testing in Surrey

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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