Well water in Churchill County, Nevada
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Testing strongly recommended
tested well samples in Churchill County exceeded the EPA limit for arsenic (10 ug/L), based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.
7,019 test results across 12 contaminants from at least 390 wells, 1952 to 2026; nitrate has the most at 980. Data refreshed September 15, 2026.
Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built
An estimated 8,931 people in Churchill County get their drinking water from a private well, per USGS 2015 county water use. That is about 37% of residents.
Separately, the USGS national arsenic model estimates that 55% of the 8,931 people on private wells in Churchill County draw water above 10 ug/L (the model's range is 48% to 61%), from geology and well depth rather than local tests.
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Churchill County. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic 1954 to 2026 | 760 | 98% | 99 | 13,800 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Uranium 1977 to 2011 | 392 | 97% | 3.19 | 1,950 | 30 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1952 to 2026 | 795 | 100% | 0.8 | 29 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1952 to 2026 | 980 | 63% | 0.21 | 180 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1960 to 2014 | 456 | 39% | 0 | 260 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1960 to 2011 | 338 | 63% | 0.001 | 0.654 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Radium (226 + 228) 1958 to 2007 | 68 | 66% | 0.064 | 5 | 5 pCi/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1952 to 2026 | no limit | 888 | 100% | 94.6 | 181,000 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
| Sodium 1952 to 2026 | no limit | 789 | 100% | 238 | 110,000 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
| Iron 1952 to 2026 | no limit | 689 | 76% | 18.9 | 31,000 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
| Manganese 1958 to 2024 | no limit | 682 | 90% | 25.6 | 11,300 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
| Radon 1988 to 2004 | no limit | 182 | 99% | 570 | 2,470 | 2,000 pCi/L health guideline |
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 | 6%448 samples | 3%359 samples | 20%115 samples | 31%58 samples |
| Fluoride | 9%408 samples | 8%262 samples | 14%96 samples | 17%29 samples |
| Arsenic | 87%411 samples | 91%250 samples | 91%70 samples | 86%29 samples |
| Lead | 2%215 samples | 1%227 samples | 0%14 samples | n/a |
| Uranium | 67%149 samples | 11%210 samples | 12%33 samples | n/a |
| Copper | 0%149 samples | 0%178 samples | 0%11 samples | n/a |
Nitrate above the limit in Churchill County rose from 20% of 115 samples in the 2010s to 31% of 58 in the 2020s.
Arsenic above the limit in Churchill County fell from 91% of 70 samples in the 2010s to 86% of 29 in the 2020s.
Fluoride, lead, uranium, copper have held within a few points between the two most recent periods with enough samples.
Closer than the county
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 arsenic (88% of 760 samples), uranium (33% of 392 samples), and fluoride (9% of 795 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, Iron, and Manganese 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 Churchill County
- 1Arsenic88% of 760 local samples were above the limit.
- 2Uranium33% of 392 local samples were above the limit.
- 3Fluoride9% of 795 local samples were above the limit.
- 4Nitrate8% of 980 local samples were above the limit.
- 5Lead2% of 456 local samples were above the limit.
- 6Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- 7RadonMedian local reading is 570 pCi/L.
- 8Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)124 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
Test your Churchill County well for arsenic, uranium and fluoride
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 Nevada: certified labs, state programs and prices.
Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Churchill County numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
Wells in Churchill County
5,424 domestic wells in Churchill County are on record with the state since 1970. 100% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 78 feet deep (one in ten goes past 175 feet).
In a typical Churchill County well, bedrock starts about 230 feet down, the median yield is 25 gallons per minute, <1% of wells yield under 3 gallons per minute and usually need a storage tank.
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 NDWR well driller reports and choose Water Well.
- The report lists depth, casing, static water level and the yield test.
Nevada has required driller reports since the 1940s, so most wells have one.
The rock under Churchill County
Not a principal aquifer
The USGS map places this area outside any principal aquifer, which usually means wells here draw from fractured bedrock or thin local deposits rather than a large regional aquifer. Bedrock wells of that kind are where arsenic, radon and uranium turn up, and yields vary from well to well.
Classification from the USGS Principal Aquifers of the United States (national map, 2003 edition, GIS release 2015), read at the county centroid. A single well can sit in a different unit, especially near a boundary.
Official help in Nevada
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, NDEP
- Get Your Drinking Water Tested, NDEP
Contamination sources on record in Churchill County
NDEP corrective action release events records 124 leaking underground storage tank sites in Churchill County, among 133 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.
- 124
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 9
- other remediation projects
Treatment that fits the local profile
Arsenic
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
Uranium
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Whole-house anion exchange
Fluoride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
Nitrate
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Lead
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Certified lead-removal carbon filter; Neutralizing filter to raise pH and stop leaching
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 arsenic
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
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 arsenic
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 lead
Aquasana Claryum 3-Stage under-sink filter
under-sink or countertop, about $175
Certified to NSF/ANSI 53 to reduce 99% of lead and 99.7% of PFOA and PFOS at the tap. Not a fix for arsenic, nitrate or bacteria.
For lead
Acid neutralizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,200
Raises pH so plumbing stops leaching lead and copper.
Free, no obligation
Get on the list for a free in-home water test in Churchill County
No water treatment company serves Churchill County 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 Churchill County, and you get an email naming it first.
Common questions
How deep are wells in Churchill County?
The typical domestic well in Churchill County is 78 feet deep, based on 5,424 wells reported to the state since 1970. One in ten is deeper than 175 feet. 100% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Churchill County?
Arsenic was detected in 98% of 760 public well samples in Churchill County, and 88% 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 high is radon in well water in Churchill County?
The median radon level across 182 public samples in Churchill County was 570 pCi/L, with a high of 2,470 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Churchill County?
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.
Counties near Churchill County
Closest first. Groundwater does not stop at a line on a map, so the next county over is a fair second opinion.
Want the numbers themselves? Download the Nevada dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 7,019 samples in Churchill County. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- USGS national arsenic model (Ayotte 2017): estimated share of 8,931 people on private wells in Churchill County above 10 ug/L of arsenic, from geology, well depth and land use. County estimates of domestic well users with arsenic above 10 ug/L from the USGS national logistic regression model (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017), with private well population from the USGS 2015 county water-use compilation (Dieter and others, 2018). Retrieved September 15, 2026.
- Nevada NDWR well driller reports: 8,533 well records in Churchill County, 5,424 domestic. Well driller reports filed with the Nevada Division of Water Resources. Only aggregates are shown; owner names and addresses are never stored. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
- NDEP corrective action release events: 133 regulated sites located in Churchill County. Leaking tank and other release events under corrective action at the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 18, 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.