The Water Check: Wells, Water Rights and Water Tests by State
Your state’s well rules and the tests to order.
In the country, water is everything. The Water Check shows the rules in your state: whether wells need a permit, how much a home well may use, whether you can collect rainwater, and whether a well test is required when a home is sold.
It also lists the tests to order before you buy, with the federal limits that mark a red flag, and the questions to ask the seller about the well. In western states it explains why owning land does not always mean owning the water.
Where does the water come from, and is it safe and legal? Pick the state and the water source to see the state’s rules, the tests to order, and the questions to ask before you make an offer.
Tests to order before you buy
| Test | Why, and the red flag |
|---|
Questions for the seller
No well yet, or an old one? See what drilling, a new pump or treatment can cost.
Estimate hidden costsWhere this comes from
- Tests and limits: CDC, EPA private wells, EPA drinking water standards. Seller questions draw on the Florida Department of Health and the Water Systems Council.
- State rules: each state’s water agency and health department (linked in the result), the National Agricultural Law Center water rights tables, and NCSL on rainwater harvesting. Checked October 2026.
- Lender rules: HUD, VA and USDA handbooks. Lenders apply them in their own way, so confirm with yours.
General information, not legal or health advice. Use a state-certified lab, and ask the state water agency or a water rights attorney about rights in western states.
Good to know
Use a state-certified lab, and in the West, ask the state water agency which rights come with the property.
This tool is part of the free AHO Buyer’s Toolkit, a set of tools for people buying an affordable home with land in the United States. For the full checklist before you make an offer, get our free Rural Property Buyer’s Field Guide.