Arsenic in Louisiana well water
In Louisiana, 22% of 1,119 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for arsenic (10 ug/L).
Arsenic occurs naturally in New England bedrock and dissolves into well water. Long-term exposure raises the risk of bladder, lung and skin cancers, and is linked to heart disease and lower IQ in children. It has no taste or smell, so testing is the only way to know.
Check your arsenic number
Type the value from your lab report. It is compared to the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Getting it fixed
Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company, or see the treatment guide for what removes arsenic.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (10 ug/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen | 31 | 77% | 42% | 2.5 | 1,112 ug/L |
| Beauregard | 42 | 93% | 33% | 2 | 1,110 ug/L |
| Vernon | 44 | 50% | 27% | 0.02 | 1,007 ug/L |
| Caddo | 34 | 44% | 21% | 0 | 192 ug/L |
| Calcasieu | 67 | 73% | 16% | 1 | 982 ug/L |
| Rapides | 46 | 72% | 15% | 1 | 1,124 ug/L |
| East Baton Rouge | 65 | 40% | 9% | 0 | 643 ug/L |
| Lafayette | 112 | 100% | 4% | 1.4 | 26.9 ug/L |
| Tangipahoa | 35 | 23% | 3% | 0 | 34 ug/L |
| Acadia | 32 | 72% | 0% | 0.475 | 1.4 ug/L |
| Bienville | 33 | 67% | 0% | 0 | 1 ug/L |
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. arsenic counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.