Iron in Idaho well water
In Idaho, iron was detected in 45% of 7,591 tested private well samples.
Iron is a nuisance rather than a health hazard: rust stains, metallic taste, and clogged fixtures above 300 ug/L. It often occurs with manganese and can feed iron bacteria that foul plumbing.
Check your iron 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 iron.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit; counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camas | 58 | 88% | no limit | 440 | 4,680 ug/L |
| Valley | 122 | 82% | no limit | 118 | 10,500 ug/L |
| Shoshone | 44 | 82% | no limit | 23.5 | 639 ug/L |
| Franklin | 57 | 81% | no limit | 210 | 6,100 ug/L |
| Boundary | 114 | 77% | no limit | 20.5 | 1,600 ug/L |
| Owyhee | 165 | 72% | no limit | 32 | 5,000 ug/L |
| Benewah | 182 | 71% | no limit | 31.5 | 2,700 ug/L |
| Washington | 130 | 69% | no limit | 240 | 4,400 ug/L |
| Boise | 94 | 68% | no limit | 20 | 4,800 ug/L |
| Bonner | 337 | 61% | no limit | 10 | 6,720 ug/L |
| Idaho | 169 | 61% | no limit | 11 | 1,200 ug/L |
| Bear Lake | 91 | 59% | no limit | 19 | 7,940 ug/L |
| Kootenai | 179 | 59% | no limit | 9.3 | 16,000 ug/L |
| Latah | 230 | 57% | no limit | 13 | 8,900 ug/L |
| Bannock | 318 | 56% | no limit | 5 | 3,400 ug/L |
- Deary-Bovill CCD, Latah County91% detected of 35
- Mink Creek CCD, Franklin County91% detected of 33
- Cascade CCD, Valley County90% detected of 52
- Bonners Ferry CCD, Boundary County89% detected of 47
- Harrison CCD, Kootenai County88% detected of 49
- Idaho City CCD, Boise County86% detected of 35
- East Camas CCD, Camas County83% detected of 42
- Grand View CCD, Owyhee County83% detected of 47
- Tensed CCD, Benewah County78% detected of 41
- Huston CCD, Canyon County77% detected of 57
- Murphy CCD, Owyhee County76% detected of 38
- McCall CCD, Valley County76% detected of 70
- St. Maries CCD, Benewah County75% detected of 104
- Glenns Ferry CCD, Elmore County73% detected of 60
- Moyie Springs CCD, Boundary County73% detected of 45
- Priest River CCD, Bonner County72% detected of 65
- Island Park CCD, Fremont County72% detected of 82
- Weiser CCD, Washington County70% detected of 114
- Montpelier CCD, Bear Lake County70% detected of 53
- Moscow CCD, Latah County70% detected of 43
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. iron counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.