Copper in Utah well water
In Utah, 2% of 3,318 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.
Test your Utah 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
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Systems that remove copper
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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 Utah: certified labs, state programs and prices.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake | 912 | 46% | 0 | 97.2 mg/L | |
| Beaver | 205 | 18% | 0 | 10.1 mg/L | |
| Millard | 197 | 23% | 0 | 166 mg/L | |
| Iron | 131 | 18% | 0 | 2.6 mg/L | |
| Uintah | 310 | 53% | 0 | 3.9 mg/L | |
| Emery | 37 | 84% | 0 | 0.43 mg/L | |
| Wayne | 42 | 60% | 0 | 0.08 mg/L | |
| Cache | 58 | 53% | 0 | 1 mg/L | |
| Morgan | 53 | 53% | 0.013 | 0.231 mg/L | |
| Juab | 31 | 52% | 0.001 | 0.207 mg/L | |
| San Juan | 253 | 51% | 0 | 0.88 mg/L | |
| Washington | 33 | 48% | 0 | 0.025 mg/L | |
| Utah | 55 | 47% | 0 | 0.196 mg/L | |
| Box Elder | 49 | 45% | 0 | 0.109 mg/L | |
| Carbon | 39 | 41% | 0 | 0.105 mg/L |
- Bingham CCD, Salt Lake County21% of 267
- Milford-Minersville CCD, Beaver County4% of 204
- Uintah and Ouray CCD, Uintah County<1% of 281
- Magna CCD, Salt Lake County<1% of 301
- Monticello CCD, San Juan County0% of 73
- Salt Lake City CCD, Salt Lake County0% of 343
- Logan CCD, Cache County0% of 39
- Hanksville CCD, Wayne County0% of 38
- Morgan North CCD, Morgan County0% of 33
- Blanding CCD, San Juan County0% of 172
- Dugway-Wendover CCD, Tooele County0% of 72
- East Carbon CCD, Carbon County0% of 34
- Thompson Springs CCD, Grand County0% of 74
- Tooele-Grantsville CCD, Tooele County0% of 192
- North Wasatch CCD, Wasatch County0% of 53
- Moab CCD, Grand County0% of 95
- Heber City West CCD, Wasatch County0% of 113
- Delta CCD, Millard County0% of 160
- Cedar City CCD, Iron County0% of 96
- Park City CCD, Summit County0% of 49
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.