Well water in New Hanover County, North Carolina

In New Hanover County, 3% of 1,018 private wells tested between 1998 and 2019 had copper above the North Carolina groundwater standard (1 mg/L), according to the NC State Laboratory of Public Health (NCWELL).

2,172 private wells tested 1998 to 2019 in state summaries; 8 individual samples from 8 wells, 1941 to 2024. 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
Iron	948	43%	25,000	300 ug/L
Manganese	2,097	28%	2,240	50 ug/L
Copper	1,018	3%	8.96	1 mg/L
Lead	2,172	2%	106	15 ug/L
Arsenic	2,108	1%	62	10 ug/L
Nitrate	763	<1%	16.7	10 mg/L
Nitrite	763	0%	0.27	1 mg/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in New Hanover County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were copper (3% of 1,018 wells), lead (2% of 2,172 wells), and arsenic (1% of 2,108 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.

Iron and manganese 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 New Hanover County

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)1,159 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
Iron43% of 948 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Manganese28% of 2,097 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Copper3% of 1,018 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Lead2% of 2,172 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Arsenic1% of 2,108 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Nitrate<1% of 763 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
RadonMedian local reading is 73.5 pCi/L.

Contamination sources on record in New Hanover County

NC DEQ records 1,159 leaking underground storage tank sites in New Hanover County, among 1,159 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.

1,159: 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

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
Fluoride: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
Chloride: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation

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Common questions

How high is radon in well water in New Hanover County?

The median radon level across 2 public samples in New Hanover County was 73.5 pCi/L, with a high of 87 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in New Hanover 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: 43 samples in New Hanover 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 New Hanover County, up to 2,172 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: 1,159 regulated sites located in New Hanover 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.