Understand your well water results. Know what to do next.
Upload your Public Health Ontario bacteria results, or a report from any accredited lab. Every number gets explained in plain English, with what to do next, who can help near you, and a plan for when to test again.
Free for well owners, starting in Ontario. Your report is read in your browser, never uploaded. Or tap any line on the sample to see how it works.
Private well, Ontario
Sample data for illustration. Limits are Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards and Health Canada guidelines. Bacteria results follow Public Health Ontario categories for private wells.
More than 2.5 million Ontarians rely on groundwater, including over 1.3 million private wells. Bacteria testing is free. Making sense of the results, and knowing what else to test for, is still up to the owner.
Sources: 2025 Minister's Annual Report on Drinking Water, Public Health OntarioHow it works
Built for the moment the envelope from the lab arrives and none of it makes sense.
Upload your report
Your Public Health Ontario bacteria results, or a PDF or phone photo from any accredited lab.
Read it in plain English
Each result is checked against Ontario standards and Health Canada guidelines and explained: what it is, whether it matters, and what to do about it.
Find help near you
If something needs fixing, find your public health unit, accredited labs and well contractors near you.
Never miss a test
A retest plan you can save to your calendar, to test for bacteria at least three times a year (four for a dug well), as Ontario public health units advise, plus after the spring melt, floods or well repairs.
Haven't tested yet?
Bacteria testing is free in Ontario. Pick up a sample bottle from your local public health unit and drop it off as soon as you can, since it must be tested within 48 hours. For nitrate, arsenic and other chemicals, use an accredited lab. Tell us your area when you join and we'll point you to labs nearby.
Made for anyone who drinks from a well
If your water comes from a well, testing and understanding it is on you. We make that part easier.
- Well ownersKnow what your results mean without calling three people to ask.
- Buying or selling a home with a wellGet a shareable Well Report with the full testing history for buyers, lenders and inspectors.
- Landlords and property managersKeep every well on a schedule and every result on file.
What works today
WellDecoded is young, so here's exactly what you can use now, what's still being tested, and what's coming.
LiveUse it now
Free, in your browser.
- Report decoderLab PDFs and typed results, explained line by line.
- Official comparisonsEvery result checked against Ontario drinking water standards and Health Canada guidelines, with US EPA limits too, if you need them.
- Retest planWhat to test again and when, with a calendar file you can save.
- Email retest remindersSave your plan with your email and we'll write a week before each test is due, and on the day.
- Find help near youLinks to public health units, accredited labs and well contractors.
- Save or printKeep a copy of your results, or bring it to your lab or doctor.
- Plain English guidesWhat each common result means and what to do about it.
BetaBeing tested
Works, but check it against your paper report.
- Photos and scansReading a phone photo or scanned page. Numbers can be misread, so we flag anything that looks off.
- Lab results linksA link or QR code a lab can print on its results letter, opening the decoder with the right standards.
PlannedComing next
Join the list and you'll hear first.
- Your results historyEvery test in one place, so you can see what's changing.
- Well Report for home salesA shareable testing history for buyers, lenders and inspectors.
Last updated October 2026. Something not working? Email [email protected].
What we will and won't do
Water advice is full of people selling filters. We aren't one of them.
- Explain, not sellNo filter or treatment sales pitch. When treatment helps, we tell you what type to look for.
- Never call your water “safe”We compare results with official limits. Real problems go straight to your local public health unit.
- Your results stay yoursNever sold or shared. Delete your data whenever you like.
- Any lab, no lock inUse the lab you already trust. We don't run a lab or sell test kits.
Built by water scientists
- PhD water scientistsFounded by specialists in water information systems and environmental engineering, with years of work on water data and water quality.
- Checked against official limitsEvery explanation is compared with EPA limits, or Ontario standards and Health Canada guidelines, checked against the sources in October 2026.
- Private by designYour report is read in your browser. It isn't uploaded or stored unless you choose to send it to us.
- IndependentWe don't sell filters or treatment, and we don't take referral fees from contractors.
For labs, public health units and well contractors
Your clients already have a report. WellDecoded helps them understand it, without changing your analytical authority or your professional responsibilities, and sends the cases that need an expert back to you.
Free for public programs. We're looking for a few Ontario partners for an early pilot, starting in southern Ontario.
Talk to us about a pilot For labs: add it to your results letterQuestions
Does WellDecoded test my water?
No. Bacteria testing is free through Public Health Ontario, and chemical tests are done by accredited labs. We explain the reports you get back.
Do you sell filters or get paid by contractors?
We don't sell filters or treatment systems. When we show local professionals, we list licensed contractors and specialists, and if we ever earn a referral fee, we'll say so clearly next to the listing.
Which lab reports will it read?
Public Health Ontario bacteria reports and reports from any accredited lab, as a PDF or a clear photo. If something can't be read, you can type the number in instead. Decode your report now.
Is it free?
Yes. Getting your results explained is free for well owners. Later we may add paid extras, like full testing history for households, home sales and landlords. Founding members get those at a lower price, locked in.
Is this medical advice?
No. It explains your results against official drinking water limits so you can make good decisions and ask better questions. For health concerns, talk to your local public health unit or doctor.
Where does it work?
We're starting with Ontario, using Ontario standards and Health Canada guidelines. Each province has its own rules, so we'll add them one at a time. In the United States, use our US page.
How is my information protected?
We follow Canada's privacy law (PIPEDA): we collect only what we need, never sell it, and delete it when you ask. Signups are stored with our hosting provider, Cloudflare, which may process data outside Canada. See our privacy page.
Be one of the first 100 founding members
We're opening WellDecoded to a small group first. Join the list and you'll get:
- Retest reminders and saved results, free, as they open
- A founding member price, locked in
- A direct line to the founders to shape what gets built