Copper in Idaho well water
In Idaho, 0% of 4,969 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for copper (1.3 mg/L).
Copper leaches from pipes when water is acidic. Above 1.3 mg/L it causes stomach upset, and long-term exposure can harm the liver and kidneys. Blue-green stains on fixtures are the giveaway.
Check your copper 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 copper.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (1.3 mg/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Falls | 320 | 83% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.25 mg/L |
| Gooding | 76 | 83% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.026 mg/L |
| Lemhi | 80 | 80% | 0% | 0.003 | 0.12 mg/L |
| Lewis | 63 | 79% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.059 mg/L |
| Caribou | 102 | 78% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.055 mg/L |
| Cassia | 117 | 77% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.026 mg/L |
| Bingham | 137 | 75% | 0% | 0.001 | 0.016 mg/L |
| Blaine | 88 | 70% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.035 mg/L |
| Oneida | 33 | 70% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.025 mg/L |
| Teton | 46 | 70% | 0% | 0.001 | 0.1 mg/L |
| Clearwater | 44 | 68% | 0% | 0.001 | 0.007 mg/L |
| Fremont | 117 | 66% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.15 mg/L |
| Custer | 64 | 64% | 0% | 0.001 | 0.04 mg/L |
| Franklin | 35 | 63% | 0% | 0.002 | 0.094 mg/L |
| Lincoln | 73 | 62% | 0% | 0.001 | 0.026 mg/L |
- Filer CCD, Twin Falls County0% of 51
- Twin Falls CCD, Twin Falls County0% of 37
- Burley CCD, Cassia County0% of 40
- Salmon CCD, Lemhi County0% of 36
- Soda Springs CCD, Caribou County0% of 48
- Buhl CCD, Twin Falls County0% of 67
- Pocatello CCD, Bannock County0% of 62
- Ketchum CCD, Blaine County0% of 32
- Hollister CCD, Twin Falls County0% of 68
- Firth CCD, Bingham County0% of 33
- Emmett Bench CCD, Gem County0% of 35
- Atomic City CCD, Bingham County0% of 34
- Kimberly CCD, Twin Falls County0% of 45
- Idaho Falls CCD, Bonneville County0% of 45
- Richfield CCD, Lincoln County0% of 33
- Troy-Juliaetta-Kendrick CCD, Latah County0% of 35
- Coeur d'Alene CCD, Kootenai County0% of 35
- Challis CCD, Custer County0% of 31
- Clark Fork CCD, Bonner County0% of 40
- Melba CCD, Canyon County0% of 45
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. copper counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.