Individual Well Owners

Citizen science is a collaborative approach to scientific research involving the public or amateur/non-professional scientists working with scientists, collecting data, and contributing to scientific knowledge. Residents of Island County can participate in the collection of groundwater data through measuring the static water level of their well, collecting water quality samples, and sending the results to the Island County Hydrogeologist for inclusion into the Island County Hydrogeology Dashboard.

Static Water Level Monitoring

It is important to measure the water level in your well on a regular basis to identify and diagnose well-production issues long before they cause serious problems such as water outages and pump damage.  The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Ecology have helpful tips for measuring water levels in a well.  If you need to borrow a water level tape, Island County Public Health offers a water level tape to residents of Island County through our Coupeville office.

Measuring static water level:

Submit your groundwater data


Submit your groundwater data to Island County Public Health here.

Water Quality Monitoring

If you own a private well, you are responsible for testing your own water. DOH recommends that private well owners test their drinking water every year for coliform bacteria and nitrate. If your nitrate concentration is 5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) or higher, you may want to re-test in six months. Ecology also recommends testing for arsenic, once in summer and again in winter, because seasonal influences can occur affecting your drinking water.  Additional contaminants you may want to include in testing are manganese and iron if you have not tested in the past and seasonal chloride and conductivity if you live in an area with elevated Seawater Intrusion Risk.

Collecting Water Quality Samples