Public Health Ontario has rolled out a new Online Water Testing Portal, which provides Grey-Bruce households on wells and other private drinking water systems a faster, more streamlined option for accessing water-testing results.

By using the portal, residents can submit sample information and receive results online within two to four business days, rather than having to fill out and send in a paper form and wait for the results to arrive by mail.

“Grey Bruce Public Health is pleased to support the local uptake of the Online Water Testing Portal. This electronic option aims to improve turnaround times for people using Public Health Ontario’s complimentary well water testing program and reduce manual submission errors, which can lead to rejected samples,” says Andrew Barton, Senior Public Health Manager at Grey Bruce Public Health.

GBPH collaborates with Public Health Ontario (PHO) and local municipalities to offer the well water testing program in Grey-Bruce.

Residents can pick up water sample collection kits and drop off samples at 14 locations throughout the area.

Samples dropped off at the Owen Sound and Walkerton locations are transported each weekday to a PHO laboratory for testing.

A courier contracted by GBPH picks up samples from the other 12 locations and then hands them over to the PHO courier for transportation to a laboratory.

Samples are picked up on Wednesdays from the Bruce County locations and on Thursdays from the Grey County locations.

A schedule of water sample pick-up locations and times is available at the following link: Private Drinking Water. Samples must be tested within 48 hours of collection.

PHO tests samples taken from private water sources, such as wells, cisterns, or treated lake water, for the bacterial indicators of contamination, specifically E. coli and total coliforms, which can make people sick and can even be fatal.

GBPH recommends testing private drinking water sources at least three times a year, after any work is done to a well or water system, and after significant weather events, such as a fast thaw or severe rainstorm. 

Residents who use the new Online Water Testing Portal can enter their information and sample details into an electronic form. Once the test is completed, they can receive their water test report electronically through the portal.

The traditional paper form and mail option remains available.

For more information on the online testing portal, how to collect samples and submit them for testing, and when and why to test well water, please visit publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/TestYourWater.