About 69% of the county's 19,324 residents. Rank 50 of 67 in Florida.
95% range 109 to 217 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 50 of 67 in Florida.
Low potential (average indoor radon may be less than 2 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 Holmes 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:
- The Florida Department of Health (DOH) strongly recommends testing private wells for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year, and says most homeowners should test for lead every three years. Depending on land use nearby, your county health department may suggest other tests. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 153 people using private wells in Holmes County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 109 to 217). 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 Holmes County in Zone 3: low potential (average indoor radon may be less than 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach County | 3,454 people (2010 base year) | |
| Osceola County | 3,272 people (2010 base year) | |
| Lee County | 2,748 people (2010 base year) | |
| St. Lucie County | 2,426 people (2010 base year) | |
| Clay County | 2,142 people (2010 base year) | |
| Holmes County (this county) | 153 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.
Testing programs and help in Florida
- Your county health department can tell you how to collect well samples and have them tested, usually for $20-30 per sample. In some cases staff can collect the samples at your home for an extra $30-40 per visit. It can also help you understand the results. source
- Through the Well Surveillance Program, run by DOH and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), county health department staff find and sample drinking water wells near known or suspected contamination. Private wells found above drinking water standards are offered help from DEP's Water Supply Restoration Funding Program, usually a filter or a connection to public water. source
- In some cases, your county health department may be able to test for certain toxic substances free of charge. Ask whether it recommends any tests besides bacteria and nitrate. source
Buying a home with a well in Holmes County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Holmes County, FL
- 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 Holmes County
None of the labs on our Florida list has an address in Holmes 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 Holmes County. Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health Laboratories well water testing page publishes these prices: Bacteria (E. coli and coliforms), private testing through the state lab $40 (checked 2 Nov 2026) source. All Florida state-lab prices and how to get a kit.
Labs on the Florida list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: Central Florida Water Testing LLC DBA Plant Technicians (Leesburg), DOH-EPH Orange Water Testing Laboratory (Orlando), Escambia County Water Quality Laboratory (Pensacola), Everglades Laboratories, Inc. (West Palm Beach), FDOH Environmental Laboratory West Palm Beach (West Palm Beach), FL Department of Health - Miami Branch Laboratory (Miami), FL Dept. of Health - Alachua County Health Department (Gainesville), FL Dept. of Health - Columbia County Health Department (Lake City) and 7 more. Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all Florida 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)
- Florida DOH - Laboratories Certified Under NELAP (DEP Qlik app): Analyte Search + Organization Name and Location Search, Matrix = Drinking Water, Certification Status = Accredited, Active labs (DOH Version: 11/07/2026 08:30:01 (Qlik app refresh 11/9/2026 4:26:47 AM; live database))
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