Iron in Washington well water
In Washington, iron was detected in 79% of 10,219 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 Washington 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 Washington: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skagit | no limit | 92 | 97% | 140 | 35,000 ug/L |
| Stevens | no limit | 1,826 | 96% | 100 | 2,180,000 ug/L |
| Lewis | no limit | 197 | 94% | 120 | 65,000 ug/L |
| King | no limit | 540 | 94% | 55 | 85,000 ug/L |
| Grays Harbor | no limit | 61 | 93% | 70 | 3,900 ug/L |
| Snohomish | no limit | 435 | 93% | 50 | 31,000 ug/L |
| Thurston | no limit | 882 | 91% | 60 | 1,100,000 ug/L |
| Walla Walla | no limit | 77 | 90% | 20 | 4,200 ug/L |
| Lincoln | no limit | 206 | 87% | 15 | 1,100 ug/L |
| Pacific | no limit | 125 | 87% | 50 | 42,000 ug/L |
| Whatcom | no limit | 487 | 86% | 50 | 516,000 ug/L |
| San Juan | no limit | 78 | 86% | 60 | 21,000 ug/L |
| Kittitas | no limit | 96 | 85% | 10 | 740 ug/L |
| Cowlitz | no limit | 148 | 84% | 145 | 75,000 ug/L |
| Kitsap | no limit | 339 | 83% | 33 | 76,400 ug/L |
- Granite Falls CCD, Snohomish County100% detected of 33
- Bainbridge Island CCD, Kitsap County98% detected of 58
- Tahoma-Maple Valley CCD, King County98% detected of 93
- Spokane Reservation CCD, Stevens County98% detected of 1,731
- Seattle East CCD, King County97% detected of 99
- Snoqualmie Valley CCD, King County97% detected of 98
- Stanwood CCD, Snohomish County96% detected of 78
- Napavine CCD, Lewis County96% detected of 98
- Swinomish Reservation CCD, Skagit County95% detected of 38
- Pullman CCD, Whitman County95% detected of 57
- Thurston South CCD, Thurston County95% detected of 93
- Maltby CCD, Snohomish County94% detected of 32
- Ethel CCD, Lewis County94% detected of 47
- Northwest Benton CCD, Benton County94% detected of 31
- Olympia West CCD, Thurston County93% detected of 129
- Lummi Reservation CCD, Whatcom County93% detected of 172
- Cheney-Medical Lake CCD, Spokane County93% detected of 55
- Port Orchard CCD, Kitsap County92% detected of 39
- Enumclaw Plateau CCD, King County92% detected of 73
- Seattle CCD, King County92% detected of 85
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.