Copper in Pennsylvania well water
In Pennsylvania, <1% of 8,923 private wells tested between 2007 and 2025 had copper above the EPA limit (1.3 mg/L), according to the Penn State water testing lab.
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 and the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your Pennsylvania well for copper
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
Affiliate links: the merchant pays us a commission and the price is the same for you. It does not change what the data above says.
Systems that remove copper
Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For copper
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For copper
Acid neutralizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,200
Raises pH so plumbing stops leaching lead and copper.
Rather have it installed and sized for your well? Book a free in-home water test with a licensed local company.
Where to get a well tested for copper in Pennsylvania: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from homeowner tests
Share of private wells above the state guidance level (1.3 mg/L) in tests homeowners sent to the state lab, 2007 to 2025.
| County | Above state level | Wells tested | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | 100 | 3.61 mg/L | |
| Pike | 239 | 4.67 mg/L | |
| Berks | 214 | 6.74 mg/L | |
| Northampton | 131 | 4.62 mg/L | |
| Sullivan | 50 | 3.04 mg/L | |
| Luzerne | 153 | 5.12 mg/L | |
| Blair | 51 | 1.78 mg/L | |
| Cambria | 52 | 1.52 mg/L | |
| Monroe | 107 | 2.13 mg/L | |
| Susquehanna | 116 | 1.96 mg/L | |
| Delaware | 123 | 12.7 mg/L | |
| Lehigh | 186 | 4.65 mg/L | |
| Lebanon | 62 | 1.4 mg/L | |
| Clarion | 63 | 1.42 mg/L | |
| Chester | 264 | 11.3 mg/L |
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (1.3 mg/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarion | 793 | 71% | 0.03 | 5 mg/L | |
| Indiana | 328 | 55% | 0.01 | 6.48 mg/L | |
| Carbon | 53 | 96% | 0.001 | 0.016 mg/L | |
| Cumberland | 40 | 93% | 0.001 | 0.08 mg/L | |
| Berks | 65 | 92% | 0.006 | 0.17 mg/L | |
| Montgomery | 82 | 89% | 0.006 | 0.138 mg/L | |
| York | 48 | 88% | 0.013 | 0.2 mg/L | |
| Clinton | 77 | 84% | 0.002 | 0.13 mg/L | |
| Wayne | 243 | 83% | 0.005 | 0.222 mg/L | |
| Tioga | 123 | 81% | 0.004 | 0.39 mg/L | |
| Clearfield | 487 | 78% | 0.03 | 0.66 mg/L | |
| Northumberland | 105 | 78% | 0 | 0.04 mg/L | |
| Allegheny | 54 | 78% | 0.001 | 0.1 mg/L | |
| Bucks | 197 | 78% | 0 | 0.226 mg/L | |
| Centre | 59 | 71% | 0.01 | 0.2 mg/L |
- Monroe township, Clarion County5% of 169
- Piney township, Clarion County1% of 582
- Kidder township, Carbon County0% of 47
- West Burlington township, Bradford County0% of 39
- Boggs township, Clearfield County0% of 436
- Upper Mahanoy township, Northumberland County0% of 104
- Marshall township, Allegheny County0% of 42
- Bensalem township, Bucks County0% of 111
- Greene township, Franklin County0% of 94
- Green township, Indiana County0% of 30
- Lackawaxen township, Pike County0% of 57
- Shippen township, Tioga County0% of 33
- Philadelphia, Philadelphia County0% of 106
- Kennett township, Chester County0% of 32
- Greene township, Pike County0% of 32
- East Marlborough township, Chester County0% of 35
- Dingman township, Pike County0% of 50
- Ulysses township, Potter County0% of 48
- Myerstown borough, Lebanon County0% of 48
- New Garden township, Chester County0% of 95
Sources
- Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab drinking water summaries: County summaries of private water samples tested by the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory since 2007, published by the College of Agricultural Sciences. Counts are samples, not distinct wells. Shares are against the standard the lab prints: the EPA maximum contaminant level, or the secondary standard for iron, manganese and chloride. Lead is the first-draw result. Medians printed as 0.00 are stored as null because the lab rounds to two decimals. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
- 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.