Landowner Guidance

California · Private Well Testing and Maintenance

California Rental-Property Domestic Wells: Testing, Disclosure, and Replacement Water

Use this guide to work through the California rental-property domestic-well rules currently covered here, then match the testing, disclosure, and water-supply duties to the statutory scope that applies.

Rules and deadlines on this page are evaluated as of 2026-08-14.

Practical guide

What should I know?

Required or recommended?

Legal-status guidance. These items include legal-status claims. Check each item's applicability, conditions, exceptions, and local notes before relying on it.

HSC 116682(j)(3): annual testing and disclosure

Conditional requirement Current · from 2024-01-01

A California rental-property domestic-well owner in the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope must test the well once per year for contaminants with state primary and secondary drinking-water standards until consent is provided.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California domestic-well owner serving rental property inside a consolidation or extended-service area who has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within a consolidation or extended-service area.; The owner has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.; The consolidation is State Board-ordered or is a voluntary consolidation negotiated after State Board encouragement.

Timing and triggers

Trigger conditions: continues until written consent is provided

Supporting evidence

Once per year, test the drinking water from domestic wells subject to subparagraph (A). Testing shall be conducted for all contaminants for which the state board has adopted primary and secondary drinking water standards and conducted pursuant to Section 64534 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, and any revisions to those regulations.

Official source

Conditional requirement Current · from 2024-01-01

A California rental-property domestic-well owner in the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope must provide test results to all tenants within 10 days, in English and the tenant recipient's primary language.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California domestic-well owner serving rental property inside a consolidation or extended-service area who has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within a consolidation or extended-service area.; The owner has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.; The consolidation is State Board-ordered or is a voluntary consolidation negotiated after State Board encouragement.

Timing and triggers

Trigger conditions: receipt of annual test results

Legal deadline: within 10 days of receiving test results

Supporting evidence

Provide the results from the testing to all tenants within 10 days of receiving those results. The notice shall comply with subdivisions (a) and (d) of Section 64465 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, and any revisions to those regulations, and shall be provided in English and the primary language spoken by the tenant recipient.

Official source

Conditional requirement Current · from 2024-01-01

A California rental-property domestic-well owner in the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope must provide the test results to the local health officer or other relevant health agency.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California domestic-well owner serving rental property inside a consolidation or extended-service area who has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within a consolidation or extended-service area.; The owner has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.; The consolidation is State Board-ordered or is a voluntary consolidation negotiated after State Board encouragement.

Supporting evidence

Provide the test results to the local health officer or other relevant health agency.

Official source

Conditional requirement Current · from 2024-01-01

If testing in the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope shows a violation of a state primary or secondary drinking-water standard, the domestic-well owner must provide or pay for uninterrupted replacement water service.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California rental-property domestic well within the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope whose testing shows a violation of a state primary or secondary drinking-water standard.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within a consolidation or extended-service area.; The owner has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.; The consolidation is State Board-ordered or is a voluntary consolidation negotiated after State Board encouragement.; Testing shows a violation of a state primary or secondary drinking-water standard.

Supporting evidence

If the testing results collected pursuant to subparagraph (A) demonstrate a violation of any primary or secondary drinking water standards adopted by the state board, the domestic well owner shall provide or pay for uninterrupted replacement water service, which may include wellhead treatment.

Official source

If wellhead treatment is used

Conditional requirement Current · from 2024-01-01

If wellhead treatment is used to provide replacement water in the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope, the domestic-well owner must test the treated well water to determine whether it meets state primary and secondary drinking-water standards.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California rental-property domestic well within the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope where wellhead treatment is used to meet the replacement-water requirement.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within a consolidation or extended-service area.; The owner has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.; The consolidation is State Board-ordered or is a voluntary consolidation negotiated after State Board encouragement.; Wellhead treatment is used to meet the replacement-water requirement.

Supporting evidence

Conduct testing pursuant to Section 64534 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, and any revisions to those regulations, to determine if, subsequent to wellhead treatment, water from the domestic well meets primary and secondary drinking water standards adopted by the state board.

Official source

Conditional requirement Current · from 2024-01-01

If wellhead treatment is used in the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope, the domestic-well owner must provide the post-treatment test results to tenants and to the local health officer or other relevant health agency.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California rental-property domestic well within the HSC 116682(j)(3) scope where wellhead treatment is used to meet the replacement-water requirement.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within a consolidation or extended-service area.; The owner has not provided written consent to consolidation or extension of service.; The consolidation is State Board-ordered or is a voluntary consolidation negotiated after State Board encouragement.; Wellhead treatment is used to meet the replacement-water requirement.

Supporting evidence

Provide the test results to tenants pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) and to the local health officer or other relevant health agency.

Official source

HSC 116688 testing-program scope

Conditional requirement Current · from 2025-01-01

A California domestic-well owner in the HSC 116688 rental-property testing-program scope must participate and request the covered testing, including regular testing as frequently as the program recommends.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California domestic-well owner serving rental property within the boundaries of an eligible free testing program, to the extent the program has capacity.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within the boundaries of a testing program established by or funded by the State Water Board or a Regional Water Board.; The testing program has capacity.

Timing and triggers

Trigger conditions: testing program recommends regular testing

Supporting evidence

owner of a domestic well that serves a rental property that is within the boundaries of a testing program shall participate in the testing program, to the extent that the testing program has capacity, and shall do all of the following: (A) (i) Request testing for all primary and secondary drinking water contaminants for which testing is provided by the testing program. (ii) The domestic well owner may request testing for contaminants of emerging concern if offered by the testing program. (B) Request regular testing as frequently as the testing program recommends, within the capacity of the testing program.

Official source

Conditional requirement Current · from 2025-01-01

A California domestic-well owner in the HSC 116688 rental-property testing-program scope must provide test results and interpretation information to current residents within 10 days of receiving the results.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California domestic-well owner serving rental property within the boundaries of an eligible free testing program, to the extent the program has capacity.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within the boundaries of a testing program established by or funded by the State Water Board or a Regional Water Board.; The testing program has capacity.

Timing and triggers

Trigger conditions: receipt of test results from the testing program

Legal deadline: within 10 days of receiving test results

Supporting evidence

Within 10 days of receiving test results from a testing program, the owner of a domestic well that serves a rental property shall ensure that the test results, and the information on how to read and understand test results posted by the board pursuant to subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c), are provided to current residents of the rental property.

Official source

Conditional requirement Current · from 2025-01-01

Under HSC 116688, a covered rental-property domestic-well owner must provide safe drinking water through the identified program when a primary-standard exceedance occurs and the owner or resident is eligible for that safe-water program.

Applicability, timing, evidence, and source

Applicability

California rental-property domestic well covered by HSC 116688 where testing shows a primary-standard exceedance and the owner or resident qualifies for safe drinking water under an identified program.

Audience: California rental-property domestic-well owner

System types: domestic well serving rental property

Conditions: The domestic well serves rental property.; The well is within the boundaries of a testing program established by or funded by the State Water Board or a Regional Water Board.; The testing program has capacity.; Testing shows an exceedance of a primary drinking water standard.; The owner or a resident is eligible for safe drinking water under an identified program.

Supporting evidence

If the test results collected pursuant to this section demonstrate an exceedance of any primary drinking water standard, and the owner of the domestic well or a resident served by the domestic well is eligible for the provision of safe drinking water under a program identified pursuant to subparagraph (F) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c), the domestic well owner shall provide safe drinking water under that program to residents served by the domestic well.

Official source

Recordkeeping

What records should I keep?

Testing

  • annual test date
  • primary-standard results
  • secondary-standard results

Tenant and resident disclosure

  • test result receipt date
  • tenant disclosure date
  • resident disclosure date
  • notice language

Agency reporting

  • agency receiving results
  • agency submission date
  • health-agency submission date

Wellhead treatment

  • post-treatment test date
  • post-treatment primary-standard results
  • post-treatment secondary-standard results
  • post-treatment result receipt date

Practical next step

What should I do next?

  1. First determine whether HSC 116682(j)(3), HSC 116688, or both are relevant to the rental property before using the deadlines and water-supply duties on this page.
  2. If testing identifies an exceedance, follow the replacement-water or safe-water rule that matches the applicable statutory scope.
  3. Open the official source below when you need the underlying agency language or more context.

Official sources

Sources used on this page

Verification

Verification status

The latest recorded approval for every statement on this page is system validation, not founder manual review.

Latest validation/review date: 2026-08-14.

How review provenance and source validation work

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