Lead in Louisiana well water
In Louisiana, 19% of 1,071 tested private well samples exceeded the EPA limit for lead (15 ug/L).
Lead in well water almost always comes from household plumbing and older fixtures, not the aquifer, and corrosive (low pH) well water makes it worse. There is no safe level for children; it harms brain development.
Check your lead 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 lead.
By county, from individual samples
Public monitoring samples against the EPA limit (15 ug/L); counties with at least 30 samples.
| County | Samples | Detected | Above EPA limit | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon | 39 | 69% | 33% | 0.294 | 1,072 ug/L |
| Beauregard | 34 | 62% | 18% | 0.041 | 997 ug/L |
| Caddo | 32 | 38% | 16% | 0 | 208 ug/L |
| Rapides | 45 | 67% | 16% | 0 | 1,090 ug/L |
| Calcasieu | 66 | 61% | 15% | 0.057 | 998 ug/L |
| Tangipahoa | 37 | 46% | 8% | 0 | 34 ug/L |
| East Baton Rouge | 52 | 60% | 4% | 0 | 202 ug/L |
| Bienville | 32 | 88% | 3% | 0 | 28 ug/L |
| Acadia | 33 | 30% | 3% | 0 | 38 ug/L |
| Lafayette | 112 | 54% | 0% | 0.018 | 0.918 ug/L |
Sources
- Individual samples from the USGS Water Quality Portal and state monitoring, summarized per geography. lead counts and shares are listed on each county and town page with their sources.