Iron in North Carolina well water
In North Carolina, 29% of 65,654 private wells tested between 1998 and 2019 had iron above the North Carolina groundwater standard (300 ug/L), according to the NC State Laboratory of Public Health (NCWELL).
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 North Carolina groundwater standard and the EPA limit, the same way the full interpretation does it.
Test your North Carolina 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.
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Systems that remove iron
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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 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 North Carolina: certified labs, state programs and prices.
By county, from homeowner tests
Share of private wells above the state guidance level (300 ug/L) in tests homeowners sent to the state lab, 1998 to 2019.
| County | Above state level | Wells tested | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perquimans | 47 | 25,000 ug/L | |
| Brunswick | 576 | 15,000 ug/L | |
| Wayne | 345 | 62,000 ug/L | |
| Currituck | 1,031 | 80,000 ug/L | |
| Camden | 83 | 16,000 ug/L | |
| Carteret | 604 | 8,300 ug/L | |
| Onslow | 157 | 16,000 ug/L | |
| Chowan | 44 | 20,000 ug/L | |
| Craven | 146 | 8,300 ug/L | |
| Pender | 1,299 | 19,000 ug/L | |
| Robeson | 117 | 7,500 ug/L | |
| Cumberland | 1,425 | 36,000 ug/L | |
| Greene | 41 | 18,000 ug/L | |
| Bladen | 152 | 16,000 ug/L | |
| Duplin | 428 | 9,200 ug/L |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perquimans | no limit | 31 | 100% | 1,800 | 7,030 ug/L |
| Robeson | no limit | 46 | 100% | 530 | 6,800 ug/L |
| Camden | no limit | 79 | 100% | 865 | 27,000 ug/L |
| Beaufort | no limit | 243 | 100% | 870 | 81,000 ug/L |
| Lenoir | no limit | 64 | 100% | 100 | 12,000 ug/L |
| Pasquotank | no limit | 102 | 100% | 2,100 | 48,000 ug/L |
| Currituck | no limit | 35 | 100% | 1,300 | 15,000 ug/L |
| Dare | no limit | 63 | 100% | 370 | 31,000 ug/L |
| Chowan | no limit | 276 | 100% | 745 | 30,000 ug/L |
| Edgecombe | no limit | 65 | 100% | 336 | 6,400 ug/L |
| Columbus | no limit | 31 | 100% | 120 | 4,800 ug/L |
| Hyde | no limit | 89 | 100% | 300 | 10,000 ug/L |
| Martin | no limit | 434 | 100% | 280 | 20,000 ug/L |
| Hertford | no limit | 35 | 100% | 260 | 29,100 ug/L |
| Tyrrell | no limit | 35 | 100% | 360 | 3,000 ug/L |
- Township 1, Edenton, Chowan County100% detected of 79
- Griffins township, Martin County100% detected of 45
- Hamilton township, Martin County100% detected of 50
- Pantego township, Beaufort County100% detected of 199
- Kinston township, Lenoir County100% detected of 34
- Township 4, Yeopim, Chowan County100% detected of 52
- Township 2, Middle, Chowan County100% detected of 82
- Township 3, Upper, Chowan County100% detected of 63
- Williams township, Martin County100% detected of 38
- South Mills township, Camden County100% detected of 45
- Township 3, Craven County100% detected of 60
- Township 6, Craven County100% detected of 85
- Township 8, Craven County100% detected of 52
- Township 2, Lower Conetoe, Edgecombe County100% detected of 54
- Goose Nest township, Martin County100% detected of 34
- Robersonville township, Martin County100% detected of 66
- Olds township, Greene County100% detected of 42
- Williamston township, Martin County100% detected of 70
- Mount Hermon township, Pasquotank County100% detected of 33
- Farmville township, Pitt County100% detected of 31
Sources
- NCWELL private well summaries: County summaries of private well tests run by the NC State Laboratory of Public Health, 1998 to 2019, compiled by the UNC Superfund Research Program (NCWELL database). Counts are tests, not distinct wells; since 2008 every new well is tested once, so most tests are unique wells. Shares are against the NC 2L groundwater standard where one exists (manganese 50 ug/L, lead 15, iron 300) and otherwise the EPA limit. Medians are not used because more than half of results sit at the reporting limit for most analytes. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- 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.