Iron in Virginia well water
In Virginia, iron was detected in 85% of 2,808 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 Virginia 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
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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 Virginia: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake | no limit | 108 | 100% | 865 | 30,000 ug/L |
| Virginia Beach | no limit | 293 | 99% | 883 | 1,730,000 ug/L |
| Newport News | no limit | 78 | 99% | 102 | 5,100 ug/L |
| King George | no limit | 66 | 98% | 195 | 40,000 ug/L |
| Surry | no limit | 40 | 98% | 40 | 630 ug/L |
| New Kent | no limit | 36 | 97% | 72.4 | 10,400 ug/L |
| Buchanan | no limit | 89 | 94% | 1,300 | 39,000 ug/L |
| Isle of Wight | no limit | 35 | 94% | 60 | 29,000 ug/L |
| King William | no limit | 52 | 94% | 30 | 2,000 ug/L |
| York | no limit | 83 | 94% | 510 | 130,000 ug/L |
| Sussex | no limit | 32 | 94% | 68.5 | 4,900 ug/L |
| Accomack | no limit | 148 | 93% | 20 | 21,000 ug/L |
| Suffolk | no limit | 196 | 92% | 111 | 46,000 ug/L |
| Prince William | no limit | 141 | 91% | 10 | 32,800 ug/L |
| Fairfax | no limit | 65 | 88% | 50 | 10,700 ug/L |
- Chesapeake, Chesapeake County100% detected of 108
- Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach County99% detected of 293
- Newport News, Newport News County99% detected of 78
- Dahlgren district, King George County98% detected of 64
- Hurricane district, Buchanan County95% detected of 64
- Roberts district, James City County94% detected of 32
- Berkeley district, James City County93% detected of 58
- Suffolk, Suffolk County92% detected of 196
- Gainesville district, Prince William County92% detected of 36
- Stonehouse district, James City County89% detected of 56
- District 3, Accomack County86% detected of 37
- District 1, York County83% detected of 30
- District 1, Northampton County82% detected of 119
- Central district, Rockingham County72% detected of 170
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.