Well water in Caswell County, North Carolina
In Caswell County, 3% of 688 private wells tested between 1998 and 2019 had lead above the North Carolina groundwater standard (15 ug/L), according to the NC State Laboratory of Public Health (NCWELL).
688 private wells tested 1998 to 2019 in state summaries; 6 individual samples from 3 wells, 2007 to 2014. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.
What homeowner tests found
NCWELL private well summaries: private wells tested and reported to the state, 1998 to 2019. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA.
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What this means
Among homeowners in Caswell County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were lead (3% of 688 wells), copper (2% of 448 wells), and nitrate (<1% of 519 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.
Manganese and iron exceed the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; these are mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.
What to test for in Caswell County
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)87 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- Manganese30% of 688 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
- Iron28% of 441 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
- Lead3% of 688 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
- Copper2% of 448 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
- Nitrate<1% of 519 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- RadonMedian local reading is 2,460 pCi/L.
Contamination sources on record in Caswell County
NC DEQ records 87 leaking underground storage tank sites in Caswell County, among 87 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.
- 87
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
Treatment that fits the local profile
- 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
- Radon
- Aeration (bubble-up or diffused) whole-house; Granular activated carbon whole-house (lower levels only)
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Common questions
How high is radon in well water in Caswell County?
The median radon level across 3 public samples in Caswell County was 2,460 pCi/L, with a high of 4,300 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Caswell 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.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 16 samples in Caswell 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.
- NCWELL private well summaries: summaries for 7 contaminants in Caswell County, up to 688 wells each. County summaries of private well tests run by the NC State Laboratory of Public Health, 1998 to 2019, compiled by the UNC Superfund Research Program (NCWELL database). Counts are tests, not distinct wells; since 2008 every new well is tested once, so most tests are unique wells. Shares are against the NC 2L groundwater standard where one exists (manganese 50 ug/L, lead 15, iron 300) and otherwise the EPA limit. Medians are not used because more than half of results sit at the reporting limit for most analytes. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- NC DEQ regulated sites: 87 regulated sites located in Caswell County. Underground storage tank incidents from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality UST Section. Retrieved September 9, 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.