Copper in Washington well water
In Washington, <1% of 4,492 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 Washington 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 Washington: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens | 1,491 | 95% | 0.003 | 8.08 mg/L | |
| Thurston | 155 | 57% | 0.001 | 1.7 mg/L | |
| Clark | 658 | 98% | 0.003 | 2.02 mg/L | |
| Yakima | 131 | 82% | 0.02 | 0.39 mg/L | |
| Spokane | 254 | 79% | 0 | 0.28 mg/L | |
| Cowlitz | 70 | 76% | 0 | 0 mg/L | |
| Whatcom | 101 | 71% | 0.001 | 1.11 mg/L | |
| Franklin | 106 | 71% | 0.001 | 0.14 mg/L | |
| Grant | 154 | 65% | 0.001 | 0.038 mg/L | |
| King | 264 | 64% | 0.001 | 0.8 mg/L | |
| Whitman | 34 | 59% | 0 | 0.089 mg/L | |
| Adams | 51 | 49% | 0 | 0.05 mg/L | |
| Benton | 46 | 46% | 0 | 0.05 mg/L | |
| Pierce | 189 | 44% | 0 | 1.1 mg/L | |
| Snohomish | 83 | 27% | 0 | 0.12 mg/L |
- Spokane Reservation CCD, Stevens County2% of 1,471
- Olympia CCD, Thurston County<1% of 104
- Vancouver CCD, Clark County<1% of 636
- Yakima CCD, Yakima County0% of 88
- Spokane CCD, Spokane County0% of 116
- Seattle East CCD, King County0% of 81
- Liberty Lake CCD, Spokane County0% of 123
- Pasco North CCD, Franklin County0% of 50
- Mattawa-Royal City CCD, Grant County0% of 54
- Connell CCD, Franklin County0% of 45
- Othello CCD, Adams County0% of 32
- Snoqualmie Valley CCD, King County0% of 90
- Hanford Site CCD, Benton County0% of 31
- Puyallup CCD, Pierce County0% of 30
- Seattle CCD, King County0% of 33
- Tacoma CCD, Pierce County0% of 96
- Bremerton CCD, Kitsap County0% of 46
- Fort Lewis-DuPont CCD, Pierce County0% of 36
- Poulsbo CCD, Kitsap County0% of 54
- Colville Reservation CCD, Okanogan County0% of 261
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.