Well water in Moore County, North Carolina

In Moore County, 7% of 1,289 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).

1,290 private wells tested 1998 to 2019 in state summaries; 6 individual samples from 3 wells, 1958 to 2012. 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	1,290	35%	3,200	50 ug/L
Iron	706	26%	12,000	300 ug/L
Lead	1,289	7%	205	15 ug/L
Arsenic	1,280	3%	167	10 ug/L
Nitrate	474	2%	49	10 mg/L
Copper	699	<1%	1.85	1 mg/L
Nitrite	474	<1%	1.1	1 mg/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Moore County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were lead (7% of 1,289 wells), arsenic (3% of 1,280 wells), and nitrate (2% of 474 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 Moore County

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)318 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
Manganese35% of 1,290 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Iron26% of 706 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Lead7% of 1,289 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Arsenic3% of 1,280 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Nitrate2% of 474 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
Copper<1% of 699 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Nitrite<1% of 474 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.

Contamination sources on record in Moore County

NC DEQ records 318 leaking underground storage tank sites in Moore County, among 318 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.

318: 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

Lead: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Certified lead-removal carbon filter; Neutralizing filter to raise pH and stop leaching
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 Moore County?

The median radon level across 1 public samples in Moore County was 480 pCi/L, with a high of 480 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Moore 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: 14 samples in Moore 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 Moore County, up to 1,290 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: 318 regulated sites located in Moore 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.