Well water in Richmond County, New York
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Testing recommended
tested well samples in Richmond County exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate (10 mg/L), based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.
541 test results across 9 contaminants from at least 24 wells, 1974 to 2012; nitrate has the most at 68. 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 Richmond 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate 1974 to 2012 | 68 | 82% | 1.23 | 29.8 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Arsenic 1974 to 2012 | 68 | 74% | 0.99 | 26 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1974 to 2012 | 68 | 78% | 0.09 | 0.9 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 2005 to 2012 | 67 | 90% | 0.33 | 10.7 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 2005 to 2012 | 67 | 75% | 0.002 | 0.02 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Sodium 1974 to 2012 | no limit | 68 | 100% | 27.4 | 162 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
| Iron 2005 to 2012 | no limit | 67 | 100% | 463 | 16,600 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
| Manganese 2005 to 2012 | no limit | 67 | 100% | 162 | 5,680 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Chloride (1).
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 | n/a | 8%40 samples | 7%27 samples | n/a |
| Arsenic | n/a | 5%40 samples | 0%27 samples | n/a |
| Fluoride | n/a | 0%40 samples | 0%27 samples | n/a |
| Lead | n/a | 0%40 samples | 0%27 samples | n/a |
| Copper | n/a | 0%40 samples | 0%27 samples | n/a |
Arsenic above the limit in Richmond County fell from 5% of 40 samples in the 2000s to 0% of 27 in the 2010s.
Nitrate, fluoride, lead, 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 nitrate (7% of 68 samples) and arsenic (3% of 68 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.
Iron, Manganese, and Chloride 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 Richmond County
- 1Nitrate7% of 68 local samples were above the limit.
- 2Arsenic3% of 68 local samples were above the limit.
- 3Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- 4IronDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 5ManganeseDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 6ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 7FluorideDetected in 78% of local samples.
- 8Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)27 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- 9Metals panel27 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
Test your Richmond County 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 New York: certified labs, state programs and prices.
Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Richmond County numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
The rock under Richmond County
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 county centroid. A single well can sit in a different unit, especially near a boundary.
Official help in New York
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, NYSDOH
- Environmental Laboratory Approval Program, NYSDOH
Contamination sources on record in Richmond County
NYSDEC remediation sites records 27 hazardous waste sites in Richmond County, among 47 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.
- 27
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 20
- 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
Iron
Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
Manganese
Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
Systems we would look at first
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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
Is there arsenic in well water in Richmond County?
Arsenic was detected in 74% of 68 public well samples in Richmond County, 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 Richmond 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.
Towns in Richmond County
Counties near Richmond 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 New York dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 541 samples in Richmond 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.
- NYSDEC remediation sites: 47 regulated sites located in Richmond County. State Superfund, brownfield, voluntary cleanup, RCRA and spill remediation sites from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Remediation Sites database. 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.