# Oregon — Private well water testing at property sale: which states require it

For Oregon, testing required at sale? is In any transaction for the sale or exchange of real estate that includes a well that supplies ground water for domestic purposes, the seller of the real estate shall, upon accepting an offer to purchase that real estate, have the well tested for arsenic, nitrates and total coliform bacteria; what must be tested is arsenic, nitrates and total coliform bacteria; who tests / pays is the seller of the real estate; authority is 448.271, verified against its source on 2026-08-18.

- **State:** Oregon _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Testing required at sale?:** In any transaction for the sale or exchange of real estate that includes a well that supplies ground water for domestic purposes, the seller of the real estate shall, upon accepting an offer to purchase that real estate, have the well tested for arsenic, nitrates and total coliform bacteria _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **What must be tested:** arsenic, nitrates and total coliform bacteria _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Who tests / pays:** the seller of the real estate _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Authority:** 448.271 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> In any transaction for the sale or exchange of real estate that includes a well that supplies ground water for domestic purposes, the seller of the real estate shall, upon accepting an offer to purchase that real estate, have the well tested for arsenic, nitrates and total coliform bacteria. The Oregon Health Authority also may, by rule, require additional tests for specific contaminants in specific areas of public health concern. The seller shall submit the results of the tests required under this section to the authority and to the buyer within 90 days of receiving the results of the tests.

## Source

- https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors448.html

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-08-18.
Part of [Private well water testing at property sale: which states require it](https://referencesource.org/well-water-testing-at-property-transfer/).