Well water in Berks County, Pennsylvania
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Testing strongly recommended
private wells tested between 2007 and 2025 in Berks County had total coliform above the EPA limit (0 MPN/100mL), according to the Penn State water testing lab.
435 private wells tested 2007 to 2025 in state summaries; 1,656 test results across 15 contaminants from at least 196 wells, 1925 to 2026; nitrate has the most at 352. Data refreshed September 16, 2026.
Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built
These are samples homeowners paid to send to the Penn State lab, often because of a suspected problem, so shares above the limit run higher than a random survey would find.
An estimated 152,926 people in Berks County get their drinking water from a private well, per USGS 2015 county water use. That is about 37% of residents.
Separately, the USGS national arsenic model estimates that 2% of the 152,926 people on private wells in Berks County draw water above 10 ug/L (the model's range is 1% to 3%), from geology and well depth rather than local tests.
What homeowner tests found
Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab drinking water summaries: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2007 to 2025. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA.
| Contaminant | Above state level | Wells tested | Median | 95th pct | Highest | State level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total coliform | 435 | 691 | 0 MPN/100mL | |||
| Manganese | 179 | 10 | 9,490 | 50 ug/L | ||
| Iron | 184 | 100 | 47,400 | 300 ug/L | ||
| Lead (first draw) | 146 | 76 | 15 ug/L | |||
| E. coli | 435 | 201 | 0 MPN/100mL | |||
| Nitrate + nitrite as N | 200 | 3.3 | 19.4 | 10 mg/L | ||
| Arsenic | 108 | 62 | 10 ug/L | |||
| Copper | 214 | 0.04 | 6.74 | 1.3 mg/L | ||
| Chloride | 29 | 9.5 | 163 | 250 mg/L | ||
| Sodium | 12 | 60.8 | 83.8 |
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Berks County. Above limit means above the EPA maximum contaminant level; where EPA has no enforceable limit, the row shows a health guideline or nuisance level instead.
| Contaminant | Above limit | Samples | Detected | Median | Highest | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate 1925 to 2026 | 352 | 91% | 4.83 | 109 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| E. coli 1998 to 2021 | 32 | 22% | 0 | 95 | 0 MPN/100mL EPA limit | |
| Arsenic 1976 to 2026 | 85 | 56% | 0.3 | 58 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Uranium 1986 to 2024 | 36 | 83% | 0.337 | 53 | 30 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1970 to 2026 | 68 | 57% | 0 | 21 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1949 to 2026 | 162 | 80% | 0.09 | 2.29 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1970 to 2026 | 65 | 92% | 0.006 | 0.17 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Radium (226 + 228) 1986 to 2000 | 22 | 91% | 0 | 2 | 5 pCi/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1925 to 2026 | no limit | 217 | 100% | 9.2 | 1,630 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
| Iron 1925 to 2026 | no limit | 202 | 85% | 24.4 | 28,000 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
| Sodium 1925 to 2026 | no limit | 194 | 100% | 6.35 | 303 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
| Manganese 1959 to 2026 | no limit | 185 | 84% | 10 | 2,680 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
| Radon 1986 to 2024 | no limit | 26 | 100% | 1,065 | 50,100 | 2,000 pCi/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: PFOS (5), PFOA (5).
Over time
Share of samples above the limit by period. A cell needs ten samples to show; a comparison needs twenty in each period. Later periods sample fewer wells, and often the ones already known to have a problem.
| Contaminant | before 2000 | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrate | 29%202 samples | 35%112 samples | 10%20 samples | 11%18 samples |
| Fluoride | 0%123 samples | 0%27 samples | n/a | n/a |
| Arsenic | 0%33 samples | 16%37 samples | n/a | n/a |
| Lead | 3%36 samples | 0%21 samples | n/a | n/a |
| Copper | 0%33 samples | 0%21 samples | n/a | n/a |
| Radium (226 + 228) | 0%10 samples | 0%12 samples | n/a | n/a |
Nitrate above the limit in Berks County fell from 35% of 112 samples in the 2000s to 10% of 20 in the 2010s.
Arsenic above the limit in Berks County rose from 0% of 33 samples before 2000 to 16% of 37 in the 2000s.
Fluoride, lead, copper have held within a few points between the two most recent periods with enough samples.
Closer than the county
See the sampled wells near your address
The same records, drawn around one point: which wells within a few miles were sampled and what they found, how deep the wells next to you were drilled, and any leaking tank or cleanup site within a mile.
Check my addressWhat this means
Among homeowners in Berks County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were total coliform (40% of 435 wells), lead (8% of 146 wells), and E. coli (8% of 435 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 Berks County
- 1Total coliform40% of 435 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
- 2Nitrate29% of 352 local samples were above the limit.
- 3E. coli16% of 32 local samples were above the limit.
- 4Lead8% of 146 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
- 5Arsenic7% of 85 local samples were above the limit.
- 6Uranium3% of 36 local samples were above the limit.
- 7Copper2% of 214 local wells tested were above the EPA limit.
- 8RadonMedian local reading is 1,065 pCi/L.
Test your Berks County well for total coliform, nitrate and E. coli
Certified lab analysis of your own tap water, bottles and prepaid return shipping included. The Essential well panel covers arsenic, uranium, nitrate, lead, copper, manganese, iron, sodium and bacteria; radon and PFAS are add-ons.
Order the Tap Score well water test kit, from $209Already tested? Upload the report
Just want bacteria checked first? Tap Score coliform and E. coli test, $99. Coliform and E. coli are the tests every well needs every year.
Want a quick look before paying for a lab? Home well water test strips on Amazon check hardness, iron, pH and nitrate in minutes. They are a screen, not a result: arsenic, bacteria, uranium and PFAS need a certified lab.
Affiliate links: the merchant pays us a commission and the price is the same for you. It does not change what the data above says. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Where to get a well tested in Pennsylvania: certified labs, state programs and prices.
Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Berks County numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
Wells in Berks County
8,345 domestic wells in Berks County are on record with the state. 100% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 180 feet deep (one in ten goes past 360 feet).
In a typical Berks County well, bedrock starts about 39 feet down, the median yield is 18 gallons per minute, 4% of wells yield under 3 gallons per minute and usually need a storage tank.
Bedrock wells are where arsenic, uranium and radon come from: the water sits in fractures in granite and metamorphic rock and picks up whatever the rock carries. That is why testing for those three matters more here than in a dug or gravel well.
Find your own well's report
The state keeps the driller's report for most wells drilled since 1984. It tells you how deep your well is, where bedrock starts, and how much water it makes, which decides what treatment can work.
- Open PaGWIS (Pennsylvania Geological Survey) and choose Water Well.
- The record lists depth, depth to bedrock, yield and use; drillers have reported new wells to the state since 1966.
Pennsylvania has no private well construction standard and does not require testing, so many older wells have no record at all.
The rock under Berks County
Valley and Ridge aquifers
Sandstone and carbonate-rock. Layered sandstone and limestone means a well may draw from either. Hardness and iron are routine, and the limestone layers can carry bacteria and nitrate from the surface quickly, so test for both yearly.
Classification from the USGS Principal Aquifers of the United States (national map, 2003 edition, GIS release 2015), read at the county centroid. A single well can sit in a different unit, especially near a boundary.
Official help in Pennsylvania
Two places to start that are not selling anything: the state program that answers private well questions, and its list of labs certified to run drinking water tests. A certified lab is the difference between a result you can act on and a number.
- Private Wells, PA DEP
- Laboratory Accreditation Program, PA DEP
Treatment that fits the local profile
Total coliform
Inspect and repair the well cap and casing, then shock chlorinate and retest; UV disinfection whole-house; Chlorination system
Lead
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Certified lead-removal carbon filter; Neutralizing filter to raise pH and stop leaching
E. coli
Shock chlorination and fix the well cap or casing; UV disinfection whole-house; Chlorination system
Nitrate
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Arsenic
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
Uranium
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Whole-house anion exchange
Systems we would look at first
Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through one, the merchant pays us a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which products we list or what the data says.
For total coliform
Aquasana Rhino Well Water with UV
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $2,871
Whole-house system built for wells: sediment pre-filter, KDF and carbon, and a UV lamp rated to kill 99.99% of bacteria and viruses. It does not remove arsenic, nitrate, uranium or radon.
For lead
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For lead
Acid neutralizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,200
Raises pH so plumbing stops leaching lead and copper.
For lead
Aquasana SmartFlow reverse osmosis
under-sink or countertop, about $225
Certified to NSF/ANSI 58 and 53 to reduce arsenic (96%, pentavalent), fluoride (90%), lead (99%), nitrate, nitrite and PFOA/PFOS at the kitchen tap, with a remineralizer.
For E. coli
UV disinfection system
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $900
Fix the well cap and casing first; UV keeps bacteria from returning.
For arsenic
Whole-house arsenic and uranium filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $2,500
Adsorptive iron-based media; sized to your well yield.
Free, no obligation
Get on the list for a free in-home water test in Berks County
No water treatment company serves Berks County through Well Water Nerd yet. We are signing licensed companies on county by county: they test at your tap for free, walk you through the numbers, and quote treatment only if something needs fixing. Leave your details and you are first in line. Nothing is shared until a company joins for Berks County, and you get an email naming it first.
Common questions
How deep are wells in Berks County?
The typical domestic well in Berks County is 180 feet deep, based on 8,345 wells reported to the state. One in ten is deeper than 360 feet. 100% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Berks County?
Arsenic was detected in 56% of 85 public well samples in Berks County, and 7% were above the EPA limit of 10 ug/L. Arsenic has no taste or smell; a lab test is the only way to know your level.
How high is radon in well water in Berks County?
The median radon level across 26 public samples in Berks County was 1,065 pCi/L, with a high of 50,100 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Berks 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.
Towns in Berks County
72 towns have fewer than 30 public samples and are included in the Berks County totals above rather than shown separately: Adamstown borough, Albany township, Alsace township, Amity township, Bally borough, Bechtelsville borough, Bern township, Bernville borough, Bethel township, Birdsboro borough, Boyertown borough, Brecknock township, Caernarvon township, Centerport borough, Centre township, Colebrookdale township, Cumru township, District township, Douglass township, Earl township, Exeter township, Fleetwood borough, Greenwich township, Hamburg borough, Heidelberg township, Hereford township, Jefferson township, Kenhorst borough, Kutztown borough, Laureldale borough, Leesport borough, Lenhartsville borough, Longswamp township, Lower Alsace township, Lower Heidelberg township, Lyons borough, Maidencreek township, Marion township, Maxatawny township, Mohnton borough, Mount Penn borough, Muhlenberg township, New Morgan borough, North Heidelberg township, Ontelaunee township, Penn township, Perry township, Pike township, Reading, Richmond township, Robesonia borough, Robeson township, Rockland township, Ruscombmanor township, Shillington borough, Shoemakersville borough, Sinking Spring borough, South Heidelberg township, Spring township, St. Lawrence borough, Tilden township, Topton borough, Tulpehocken township, Union township, Upper Bern township, Upper Tulpehocken township, Washington township, Wernersville borough, West Reading borough, Windsor township, Womelsdorf borough, Wyomissing borough.
Counties near Berks County
Closest first. Groundwater does not stop at a line on a map, so the next county over is a fair second opinion.
Want the numbers themselves? Download the Pennsylvania dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 1,656 samples in Berks 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.
- Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab drinking water summaries: summaries for 10 contaminants in Berks County, up to 435 wells each. County summaries of private water samples tested by the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Laboratory since 2007, published by the College of Agricultural Sciences. Counts are samples, not distinct wells. Shares are against the standard the lab prints: the EPA maximum contaminant level, or the secondary standard for iron, manganese and chloride. Lead is the first-draw result. Medians printed as 0.00 are stored as null because the lab rounds to two decimals. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
- USGS national arsenic model (Ayotte 2017): estimated share of 152,926 people on private wells in Berks County above 10 ug/L of arsenic, from geology, well depth and land use. County estimates of domestic well users with arsenic above 10 ug/L from the USGS national logistic regression model (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017), with private well population from the USGS 2015 county water-use compilation (Dieter and others, 2018). Retrieved September 15, 2026.
- Pennsylvania Groundwater Information System (PaGWIS) wells: 13,764 well records in Berks County, 8,345 domestic. Water well records from the Pennsylvania Groundwater Information System, Pennsylvania Geological Survey (DCNR). Only aggregates are shown; owner names and addresses are never stored. Retrieved September 16, 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.