Well water in Empire, Minnesota
1in10
Testing recommended
tested well samples in Empire exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate (10 mg/L), based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.
49 private wells tested 2014 to 2019 in state summaries; 406 test results across 13 contaminants from at least 25 wells, 1961 to 2025; nitrate has the most at 71. Data refreshed September 15, 2026.
Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built
What homeowner tests found
MDA Township Testing Program nitrate: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2014 to 2019. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA.
| Contaminant | Above state level | Wells tested | Median | 95th pct | Highest | State level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 49 | 10 mg/L |
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Empire. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate 1961 to 2018 | 71 | 52% | 0.1 | 57.5 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Arsenic 1990 to 2025 | 35 | 29% | 0 | 17.6 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1961 to 2025 | 36 | 72% | 0.12 | 0.5 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1990 to 2025 | 35 | 6% | 0 | 0.78 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1996 to 2025 | 27 | 15% | 0 | 0.017 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1961 to 2025 | no limit | 60 | 87% | 15.4 | 126 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
| Sodium 1961 to 2025 | no limit | 53 | 100% | 5 | 205 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
| Iron 1961 to 2025 | no limit | 39 | 62% | 30 | 4,290 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
| Manganese 1961 to 2025 | no limit | 38 | 74% | 36.9 | 464 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: PFOA (4), Radium (226 + 228) (4), Uranium (2), E. coli (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride | 0%18 samples | n/a | n/a | 0%16 samples |
| Arsenic | n/a | n/a | 0%17 samples | 0%15 samples |
| Lead | n/a | n/a | 0%17 samples | 0%15 samples |
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
Among homeowners in Empire who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were nitrate (22% of 49 wells). These are ordinary wells tested by their owners, so the shares are the best available picture of a typical well here, with one caveat: people test more often when they suspect a problem.
What to test for in Empire
- 1Nitrate22% of 49 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
- 2Arsenic3% of 35 local samples were above the limit.
- 3Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- 4PFOAAbove the limit in 2 of 4 local samples; too few to quote a rate.
- 5ChlorideDetected in 87% of local samples.
- 6ManganeseDetected in 74% of local samples.
- 7FluorideDetected in 72% of local samples.
- 8Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)5 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
Test your Empire well for nitrate, arsenic 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 Minnesota: certified labs, state programs and prices.
Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Empire numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
Wells in Empire
164 domestic wells in Empire are on record with the state since 1967. 85% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 145 feet deep (one in ten goes past 320 feet).
In a typical Empire well, bedrock starts about 85 feet down.
Bedrock wells are where arsenic, uranium and radon come from: the water sits in fractures in granite and metamorphic rock and picks up whatever the rock carries. That is why testing for those three matters more here than in a dug or gravel well.
Find your own well's report
The state keeps the driller's report for most wells drilled since 1984. It tells you how deep your well is, where bedrock starts, and how much water it makes, which decides what treatment can work.
- Open Minnesota Well Index and choose Water Well.
- The record shows depth, casing, depth to bedrock, aquifer, static water level and the driller; new wells since 2008 also show the arsenic test result.
Wells drilled since 1974 have records; older wells appear only if a later owner reported them.
The rock under Empire
Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system
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 Minnesota
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.
- Wells and Borings, Minnesota Department of Health
- Accredited Laboratories as Well Partners, Minnesota Department of Health
Contamination sources on record in Empire
MPCA records 5 leaking underground storage tank sites in Empire, among 23 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.
- 5
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 14
- registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
- 1
- lined landfill or transfer facility
- 3
- other remediation projects
Treatment that fits the local profile
Nitrate
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Arsenic
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
Manganese
Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
Iron
Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
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 nitrate
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
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 arsenic
Whole-house arsenic and uranium filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $2,500
Adsorptive iron-based media; sized to your well yield.
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.
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Empire?
The typical domestic well in Empire is 145 feet deep, based on 164 wells reported to the state since 1967. One in ten is deeper than 320 feet. 85% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Empire?
Arsenic was detected in 29% of 35 public well samples in Empire, and 3% were above the EPA limit of 10 ug/L. Arsenic has no taste or smell; a lab test is the only way to know your level.
How often should I test a private well in Empire?
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 Empire
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 Minnesota dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 406 samples in Empire. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- MDA Township Testing Program nitrate: summaries for 1 contaminants in Empire, up to 49 wells each. Nitrate results from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture Township Testing Program, 2013 to 2019, which offered a free test to every well in 344 townships with vulnerable groundwater. Townships were selected for vulnerable geology and row-crop land use, so their shares run above the state as a whole; county and state figures are not derived from them. Share is the final (follow-up) result above 10 mg/L as N. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
- Minnesota Well Index: 286 well records in Empire, 164 domestic. Well construction records from the Minnesota Well Index (Minnesota Department of Health), non-public-supply wells. Only aggregates are shown; owner names and addresses are never stored. Retrieved September 15, 2026.
- MPCA regulated sites: 23 regulated sites located in Empire. Tank, leak, remediation, Superfund and landfill sites from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency What's In My Neighborhood database. Retrieved September 15, 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.