Well water in Bristol, Connecticut
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Testing recommended
tested well samples in Bristol exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate (10 mg/L), based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.
The strongest signal is copper: 9% of 11 local samples were above the limit, too few samples to carry the headline but first on the test list below.
181 test results across 11 contaminants from at least 12 wells, 1956 to 2017; nitrate has the most at 33. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.
Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Bristol. Above limit means above the EPA maximum contaminant level; where EPA has no enforceable limit, the row shows a health guideline or nuisance level instead.
| Contaminant | Above limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper 1971 to 2017 | 11 | 91% | 0.002 | 4 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1956 to 2017 | 33 | 100% | 2.11 | 12 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1957 to 2017 | 21 | 57% | 0.1 | 1.2 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1972 to 2017 | 10 | 80% | 0.061 | 1.76 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1957 to 2017 | no limit | 23 | 100% | 16.2 | 1,400 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
| Sodium 1957 to 2017 | no limit | 23 | 100% | 10 | 465 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
| Manganese 1957 to 2017 | no limit | 22 | 91% | 0.36 | 5,400 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
| Iron 1957 to 2017 | no limit | 22 | 82% | 35 | 200 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Arsenic (7), Uranium (7), Radium (226 + 228) (2).
Over time
Share of samples above the limit by period. A cell needs ten samples to show; a comparison needs twenty in each period. Later periods sample fewer wells, and often the ones already known to have a problem.
| Contaminant | before 2000 | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 13%15 samples | 0%14 samples | n/a | n/a |
Closer than the town
See the sampled wells near your address
The same records, drawn around one point: which wells within a few miles were sampled and what they found, how deep the wells next to you were drilled, and any leaking tank or cleanup site within a mile.
Check my addressWhat this means
The contaminants most often above their limit here are copper (9% of 11 samples) and nitrate (6% of 33 samples). A well next door can differ sharply from yours because bedrock fractures, well depth and plumbing all matter, so these rates describe the area, not your tap.
Chloride, Manganese, and Iron are widespread in local groundwater. They are mainly a staining and taste problem, but high manganese also carries a health advisory for infants.
What to test for in Bristol
- 1Copper9% of 11 local samples were above the limit.
- 2Nitrate6% of 33 local samples were above the limit.
- 3Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- 4ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 5ManganeseDetected in 91% of local samples.
- 6IronDetected in 82% of local samples.
- 7FluorideDetected in 57% of local samples.
- 8Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)127 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- 9Metals panel4 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
Test your Bristol well for copper, nitrate and coliform bacteria
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
Just want bacteria checked first? Tap Score coliform and E. coli test, $99. Coliform and E. coli are the tests every well needs every year.
Want a quick look before paying for a lab? Home well water test strips on Amazon check hardness, iron, pH and nitrate in minutes. They are a screen, not a result: arsenic, bacteria, uranium and PFAS need a certified lab.
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. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Where to get a well tested in Connecticut: certified labs, state programs and prices.
Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Bristol numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
The rock under Bristol
Early Mesozoic basin aquifers
Sandstone. Sandstone wells draw from pore space in the rock and tend to be dependable. Iron, manganese and hardness are common, and some sandstones carry arsenic or radium, so a first test should include both.
Classification from the USGS Principal Aquifers of the United States (national map, 2003 edition, GIS release 2015), read at the town centroid. A single well can sit in a different unit, especially near a boundary.
Official help in Connecticut
Two places to start that are not selling anything: the state program that answers private well questions, and its list of labs certified to run drinking water tests. A certified lab is the difference between a result you can act on and a number.
- Private Wells, CT DPH
- Environmental Laboratory Certification, CT DPH
Contamination sources on record in Bristol
CT DEEP contaminated sites and landfills records 127 leaking underground storage tank sites, 4 hazardous waste sites, and 7 reported spills and releases in Bristol, among 277 regulated sites in total. Groundwater does not follow property lines, so a well within a few hundred feet of one of these is worth testing for what that site could release.
- 127
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 4
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 7
- reported spills and releasesMost spills are fuel; a few are solvents or chemicals that reach the water table.
- 1
- lined landfill or transfer facility
- 138
- other remediation projects
Treatment that fits the local profile
Copper
Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis
Nitrate
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Manganese
Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
Systems we would look at first
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 copper
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For copper
Acid neutralizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,200
Raises pH so plumbing stops leaching lead and copper.
For nitrate
Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis
under-sink or countertop, about $225
Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.
For manganese
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.
Free, no obligation
Get on the list for a free in-home water test in Bristol
No water treatment company serves Bristol through Well Water Nerd yet. We are signing licensed companies on county by county: they test at your tap for free, walk you through the numbers, and quote treatment only if something needs fixing. Leave your details and you are first in line. Nothing is shared until a company joins for Bristol, and you get an email naming it first.
Common questions
How often should I test a private well in Bristol?
Test for bacteria and nitrate every year. Test once for arsenic, uranium, radon, fluoride, manganese and PFAS, then again every three to five years or after any change in taste, color, or plumbing.
Towns near Bristol
Closest first. Groundwater does not stop at a line on a map, so the next town over is a fair second opinion.
Want the numbers themselves? Download the Connecticut dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 181 samples in Bristol. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- CT DEEP contaminated sites and landfills: 277 regulated sites located in Bristol. Contaminated or potentially contaminated sites and solid waste landfills from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
Non-detects count as samples and are treated as zero when computing medians. Exactly at the limit counts as not above it. A sample belongs to the town containing the well's reported coordinates.