Water Testing in Buncombe County NC
Homes with well water can be tested through the county Environmental Health Department (828 250 5016). Water tests are sent to the State Lab at the Department of Environmental Quality. Buncombe County Residents can ‘self collect’ and test for bacteria only for $25 and deliver the sample to the county Health Department (not recommended) More advanced testing will require a site visit by a County Inspector (recommended)- the inspector will evaluate site conditions that could affect the water and take a sample.
Services and Pricing
As of December 2023 the services offered are:
Bacterial Analysis Only for $75.
Chemical Panel Only for $100
Bacterial + Chemical Analysis for $100.
Pesticides $100
Herbicides $100
Petroleum $100
Volatile Organic $100
Nitrate/Nitrite $50
How to Order a Water Test Online in Buncombe County, NC
Register for a new account here and fill out the online form.
Or go to Buncombecounty.org, click on County Services on upper tab and select Permits and Inspections.
Click on Development and Permits Portal (square image at the left just below ‘Permits and Inspections’.)
Click on Environmental Health and then select Create an Application.
Accept disclaimer and fill out form.
Print out receipt and wait to be contacted.
Water Testing during Real Estate Transactions
The County Environmental Health Department and NC State Laboratory are excellent resources for water testing and should be the go to resource for annual/maintenance water testing for residences. Unfortunately it can take a month or more for water test results to return after ordering therefore Private Labs with quicker lead times may be needed during real estate transactions.
