Who can have water tested at the City of Dublin, and what does it cost?
Section 24-27 of the City of Dublin fee schedule lists water testing fees. For City of Dublin utility customers the charge is $0.00. For non-customers, which includes most rural Laurens County households on private wells, the schedule lists individual tests and two well panels. The well water quality test with total coliform is $85.00 and covers pH, alkalinity, hardness, iron, manganese and total coliform. The same panel without total coliform is $55.00. Individual bacteria tests for total coliform, fecal coliform and E. coli are $30.00 each.
The schedule also lists single-parameter tests such as iron, hardness, manganese, alkalinity, calcium and fluoride at $13.00 each, and pH, conductivity and turbidity at $6.00 each. Call the city's water treatment line, 478-277-5050, before collecting a sample to ask about bottles, hold times and drop-off.
| Test | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Any test for City of Dublin utility customers | $0.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| Total coliform (non-customer) | $30.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| Fecal coliform (non-customer) | $30.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| E. coli (non-customer) | $30.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| Iron, hardness, manganese, alkalinity, calcium or fluoride (non-customer, each) | $13.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| pH, conductivity or turbidity (non-customer, each) | $6.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| Well water quality test with total coliform (pH, alkalinity, hardness, iron, manganese and total coliform) | $85.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| Well water quality test without total coliform (pH, alkalinity, hardness, iron, manganese) | $55.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
Which test should a well owner start with?
Bacteria first. Total coliform is the standard indicator that surface water or other contamination is getting into a well; a positive result is usually followed by a fecal coliform or E. coli test to tell whether the contamination is from sewage or animal waste. Test after any flood, after work on the well or pump, if the water changes color, taste or smell, and at least once a year as routine.
The mineral panel answers different questions. Hardness and alkalinity explain scale on fixtures and inside water heaters. Iron and manganese cause orange or black staining and metallic taste. pH below neutral can make water corrosive, which matters for copper pipe and for any older solder, as the lead pipe guide explains.
Know what the city charges, then let an independent local plumber price the repair.
Call (478) 772-6792What do results mean for your plumbing?
Bacteria present
A positive coliform result is a well problem before it is a plumbing problem. Common causes are a damaged or missing well cap, a cracked casing, or surface water pooling around the wellhead. A well contractor or the county environmental health office is the right first call for disinfection and inspection; a plumber comes in if the fix involves the pressure tank, the house piping or a treatment system such as an ultraviolet unit.
Hard water, iron or manganese
These usually call for treatment equipment: a softener, an iron filter or both, installed after the pressure tank. That is plumbing work; ask the permitting office whether your installation needs a permit before it starts. For homes outside the city, the county is the permitting office; the Laurens County guide explains which county office handles what.
Low pH
Acidic water slowly eats copper pipe, leaving blue-green stains and eventually pinhole leaks. A neutralizing filter treats it; repeated pinhole leaks may mean re-piping is the better long-term repair.
How does a private well differ from City of Dublin water?
City water is tested year-round under federal and state rules, and the results are summarized in the city's annual Water Quality Report. The 2025 report says the city draws from the Oconee River and three deep wells in the Upper Dublin-Midville and Lower Floridan aquifers. A private well is tested only when its owner tests it. Georgia's outdoor watering limits under the Water Stewardship Act also treat private wells differently: water withdrawn from a private well on your own property is among the uses allowed at any time of day.
If city water is available on your road, a connection may be an alternative to treating a problem well. The new connection guide lists the city's capital recovery fee of $1,000.00 per ERU for water and explains how taps are priced.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Water capital recovery rate per ERU | $1,000.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| Sewer capital recovery rate per ERU | $2,000.00 | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| Water meter tap installation service charge (nonrefundable) | As determined by City Manager | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
| Sewer tap fee (cost plus basis) | As determined by City Manager | City of Dublin fee schedule, Res. #26-45 |
How do you collect a sample that gives a true result?
Bacteria samples are the easiest to spoil. Use the sterile bottle the laboratory provides, do not rinse it, and do not touch the inside of the cap. Take the sample from a cold-water tap that is not a swivel or pull-out faucet, remove any aerator, run the water for several minutes, then fill the bottle to the line. Keep it cold and deliver it quickly; laboratories set short hold times for coliform tests, which is why calling the City of Dublin's water treatment line before you sample saves a wasted trip.
For the mineral panel, sample after the pressure tank but before any treatment equipment if you want to know what the well itself produces, and after the equipment if you want to know whether a softener or filter is working. Write down which you did.
When should you bring in a plumber?
When the test points to equipment: a softener or filter installation, a pressure tank replacement, an ultraviolet disinfection unit, or re-piping after corrosion. Bring the lab report, the age of the well and pump, the size of the pressure tank and where the water line enters the house. A plumber can then say what treatment the numbers support rather than guessing.
A Free Quote Request reaches an independent plumber who works in Laurens County. If the well is serving a new home or a septic system is part of the project, the septic permit guide covers Environmental Health's steps.
Figures on this page come from: City of Dublin Schedule of Fees, updated 9/3/2026, Resolution #26-45 (PDF); City of Dublin 2025 Water Quality Report, April 1, 2026 (PDF); Georgia EPD: Non-drought Outdoor Water Use Schedule; Laurens County, GA: Building Permits (building, moving and septic permit steps and fees). Checked 2026-10-29.
Tell us the problem once. Independent plumbers who work in Laurens County can follow up.
Call (478) 772-6792Quick answers for Dublin homeowners
How much does it cost to test well water in Dublin, GA?
The City of Dublin lists a well water quality test with total coliform at $85.00 and without total coliform at $55.00 for non-customers; individual coliform and E. coli tests are $30.00 each.
Is water testing free for City of Dublin customers?
Yes. Section 24-27 lists $0.00 for City of Dublin utility customers.
What does the $85.00 well test include?
pH, alkalinity, hardness, iron, manganese and total coliform.