Well water in Chatham County, North Carolina

In Chatham County, 3% of 3,129 private wells tested between 1998 and 2019 had arsenic above the North Carolina groundwater standard (10 ug/L), according to the NC State Laboratory of Public Health (NCWELL).

3,129 private wells tested 1998 to 2019 in state summaries; 4 individual samples from 2 wells, 2012 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.

Contaminant	Wells tested	Above state level	Highest	State level
Manganese	3,128	36%	3,900	50 ug/L
Iron	2,068	20%	34,000	300 ug/L
Arsenic	3,129	3%	127	10 ug/L
Nitrate	1,761	2%	120	10 mg/L
Lead	3,128	2%	162	15 ug/L
Copper	2,071	<1%	13	1 mg/L
Nitrite	1,761	0%	0.57	1 mg/L
Uranium	2	0%	0.71	30 ug/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Chatham County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (3% of 3,129 wells), nitrate (2% of 1,761 wells), and lead (2% of 3,128 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 Chatham County

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)257 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
Manganese36% of 3,128 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Iron20% of 2,068 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Arsenic3% of 3,129 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Nitrate2% of 1,761 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
Lead2% of 3,128 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Copper<1% of 2,071 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
RadonMedian local reading is 57 pCi/L.

Contamination sources on record in Chatham County

NC DEQ records 257 leaking underground storage tank sites in Chatham County, among 257 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.

257: 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

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Common questions

How high is radon in well water in Chatham County?

The median radon level across 1 public samples in Chatham County was 57 pCi/L, with a high of 57 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Chatham 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: 8 samples in Chatham 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 8 contaminants in Chatham County, up to 3,129 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: 257 regulated sites located in Chatham 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.