Iron in New Mexico well water
In New Mexico, iron was detected in 73% of 7,041 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.
Test your New Mexico well for iron
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 iron
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 iron
Iron and manganese oxidizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,800
Air-injection or greensand media; fixes staining at the source.
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 iron in New Mexico: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit; counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Above EPA limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Alamos | no limit | 30 | 100% | 620 | 16,000 ug/L |
| Harding | no limit | 41 | 100% | 10 | 5,100 ug/L |
| Grant | no limit | 62 | 95% | 50 | 4,200 ug/L |
| Chaves | no limit | 58 | 95% | 50 | 1,100 ug/L |
| Lincoln | no limit | 55 | 93% | 166 | 12,400 ug/L |
| McKinley | no limit | 473 | 93% | 80 | 300,000 ug/L |
| Luna | no limit | 75 | 89% | 20 | 1,700 ug/L |
| Cibola | no limit | 344 | 89% | 70 | 140,000 ug/L |
| Hidalgo | no limit | 59 | 85% | 40 | 3,100 ug/L |
| Lea | no limit | 79 | 84% | 30 | 85,000 ug/L |
| Eddy | no limit | 154 | 83% | 320 | 6,100,000 ug/L |
| San Juan | no limit | 640 | 83% | 110 | 480,000 ug/L |
| Otero | no limit | 125 | 82% | 36.9 | 88,000 ug/L |
| Santa Fe | no limit | 267 | 81% | 17 | 42,700 ug/L |
| Valencia | no limit | 61 | 80% | 40 | 170,000 ug/L |
- Los Alamos CCD, Los Alamos County100% detected of 30
- Zuni CCD, McKinley County97% detected of 35
- Jemez-Zia CCD, Sandoval County97% detected of 30
- Nenahnezad-Burnham CCD, San Juan County97% detected of 89
- Red Rock CCD, McKinley County95% detected of 194
- Navajo Nation CCD, McKinley County94% detected of 70
- Tyrone CCD, Grant County94% detected of 31
- Grants CCD, Cibola County93% detected of 153
- Santa Fe North CCD, Santa Fe County92% detected of 128
- Fence Lake CCD, Cibola County91% detected of 90
- Deming South CCD, Luna County91% detected of 44
- Cuba CCD, Sandoval County90% detected of 52
- Napi Headquarters CCD, San Juan County89% detected of 174
- Laguna CCD, Cibola County88% detected of 57
- Loving CCD, Eddy County88% detected of 64
- Deming North CCD, Luna County87% detected of 31
- Crownpoint CCD, McKinley County87% detected of 150
- Alamogordo CCD, Otero County86% detected of 74
- Shiprock-Sanostee CCD, San Juan County85% detected of 157
- North Hidalgo CCD, Hidalgo County84% detected of 51
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.