Well water in Richmond County, North Carolina

In Richmond County, 9% of 323 private wells tested between 1998 and 2019 had nitrate above the EPA limit (10 mg/L), according to the NC State Laboratory of Public Health (NCWELL).

524 private wells tested 1998 to 2019 in state summaries; 1 individual samples from 1 wells, 1966. 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	523	24%	2,600	50 ug/L
Iron	317	20%	6,200	300 ug/L
Nitrate	323	9%	29	10 mg/L
Lead	523	7%	1,500	15 ug/L
Arsenic	524	3%	101	10 ug/L
Copper	317	<1%	1.05	1 mg/L
Nitrite	323	0%	0.12	1 mg/L
Uranium	2	0%	1	30 ug/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Richmond County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were nitrate (9% of 323 wells), lead (7% of 523 wells), and arsenic (3% of 524 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 Richmond County

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)242 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
Manganese24% of 523 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Iron20% of 317 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Nitrate9% of 323 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
Lead7% of 523 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Arsenic3% of 524 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Copper<1% of 317 local wells tested were above the North Carolina groundwater standard.
Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
FluorideDetected in 100% of local samples.

Contamination sources on record in Richmond County

NC DEQ records 242 leaking underground storage tank sites in Richmond County, among 242 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.

242: 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

Nitrate: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
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
Fluoride: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation

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Common questions

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.

Sources

USGS Water Quality Portal: 1 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.
NCWELL private well summaries: summaries for 8 contaminants in Richmond County, up to 524 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: 242 regulated sites located in Richmond 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.