Well water in Phoenixville borough, Pennsylvania
In Phoenixville borough, 3% of 32 tested well samples exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate (10 mg/L), based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.
The strongest signal is fluoride: 5% of 19 local samples were above the limit, too few samples to carry the headline but first on the test list below.
161 test results across 11 contaminants from at least 9 wells, 1956 to 1995; nitrate has the most at 32. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.
Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Phoenixville borough. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride 1956 to 1995 | 19 | 79% | 0.1 | 10 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1956 to 1995 | 32 | 94% | 1.55 | 34.5 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1973 to 1995 | 13 | 54% | 0 | 0 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1973 to 1995 | 12 | 67% | 0 | 0.02 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Iron 1956 to 1995 | no limit | 22 | 95% | 50 | 520 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
| Chloride 1956 to 1995 | no limit | 19 | 100% | 12 | 65 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
| Manganese 1957 to 1995 | no limit | 18 | 94% | 70 | 230 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
| Sodium 1957 to 1995 | no limit | 15 | 100% | 17 | 89 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Arsenic (9), Uranium (1), Radon (1).
Closer than the town
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
The contaminants most often above their limit here are fluoride (5% of 19 samples) and nitrate (3% of 32 samples). A well next door can differ sharply from yours because bedrock fractures, well depth and plumbing all matter, so these rates describe the area, not your tap.
Iron, Chloride, and Manganese are widespread in local groundwater. They are mainly a staining and taste problem, but high manganese also carries a health advisory for infants.
What to test for in Phoenixville borough
- 1Fluoride5% of 19 local samples were above the limit.
- 2Nitrate3% of 32 local samples were above the limit.
- 3Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- 4RadonMedian local reading is 300 pCi/L.
- 5ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 6IronDetected in 95% of local samples.
- 7ManganeseDetected in 94% of local samples.
Test your Phoenixville borough well for fluoride, nitrate and coliform bacteria
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.
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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 Phoenixville borough numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
The rock under Phoenixville borough
Early Mesozoic basin aquifers
Sandstone. Sandstone wells draw from pore space in the rock and tend to be dependable. Iron, manganese and hardness are common, and some sandstones carry arsenic or radium, so a first test should include both.
Classification from the USGS Principal Aquifers of the United States (national map, 2003 edition, GIS release 2015), read at the town 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
Fluoride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
Nitrate
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Manganese
Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
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 fluoride
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For fluoride
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 manganese
Iron and manganese oxidizing filter
whole-house, at the point of entry, about $1,800
Air-injection or greensand media; fixes staining at the source.
Free, no obligation
Get on the list for a free in-home water test in Phoenixville borough
No water treatment company serves Phoenixville borough 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 Phoenixville borough, and you get an email naming it first.
Common questions
How often should I test a private well in Phoenixville borough?
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 near Phoenixville borough
Closest first. Groundwater does not stop at a line on a map, so the next town 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: 161 samples in Phoenixville borough. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 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.