All kinds of dangers could lurk in your well water.

Everything from heavy metals to nitrates to bacteria and other microorganisms can sneak their way into your drinking water. Many of those contaminants are invisible and have no smell or taste, meaning the only way to know if your water is safe is to test it.

Now, thanks to a new $5 million state program, you can do that for free.

Homeowners who get their drinking water from private wells need only visit Michigan.gov/EGLEPrivateWells to claim a testing kit and get information about how to use that kit, News staff writer Michael Gonzalez reported recently.

In Northeast Michigan, residents also can work with District Health Department No. 4 or District Health Department No. 2 to test their wells and get information about how to treat any findings in the tests.

When you get your drinking water through a municipal system, the local government tests and treats the water for you to make sure it’s safe to ingest.

When you get your water from a private well, that’s your responsibility.

We urge every homeowner drinking water out of a well to take advantage of the free tests.