Well water in South Kingstown, Rhode Island
In South Kingstown, 2% of 265 tested well samples exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate (10 mg/L), based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.
645 test results across 15 contaminants from at least 29 wells, 1973 to 2019; nitrate has the most at 265. 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 South Kingstown. 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 1973 to 2019 | 265 | 98% | 1.8 | 24 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1973 to 2019 | 13 | 100% | 0.46 | 0.54 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1973 to 2019 | no limit | 139 | 100% | 14 | 210 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
| Manganese 1973 to 2019 | no limit | 79 | 90% | 50 | 2,300 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
| Iron 1973 to 2019 | no limit | 79 | 82% | 50 | 210,000 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
| Sodium 1973 to 2019 | no limit | 25 | 100% | 8.6 | 44.7 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: PFOA (1), PFOS (1), Copper (9), Lead (9), Arsenic (8), Uranium (8), Radium (226 + 228) (4), E. coli (2), Radon (3).
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 | 2%249 samples | 0%12 samples | n/a | n/a |
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 nitrate (2% of 265 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.
Chloride, Manganese, and Iron are widespread in local groundwater. They are mainly a staining and taste problem, but high manganese also carries a health advisory for infants.
The median radon reading (2,540 pCi/L) is above the 2,000 pCi/L level at which treatment is recommended. Radon in water raises indoor air radon when it is used for showers and laundry.
What to test for in South Kingstown
- 1Nitrate2% of 265 local samples were above the limit.
- 2Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- 3RadonMedian local reading is 2,540 pCi/L.
- 4PFOAAbove the limit in 1 of 1 local samples; too few to quote a rate.
- 5PFOSAbove the limit in 1 of 1 local samples; too few to quote a rate.
- 6FluorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 7CopperDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 8Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)64 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- 9Metals panel33 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
Test your South Kingstown well for nitrate, coliform bacteria and radon
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 Rhode Island: certified labs, state programs and prices.
Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the South Kingstown numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
The rock under South Kingstown
Not a principal aquifer
The USGS map places this area outside any principal aquifer, which usually means wells here draw from fractured bedrock or thin local deposits rather than a large regional aquifer. Bedrock wells of that kind are where arsenic, radon and uranium turn up, and yields vary from well to well.
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 Rhode Island
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, RIDOH
- Certified Drinking Water Testing Labs, RIDOH
Contamination sources on record in South Kingstown
RIDEM records 64 leaking underground storage tank sites and 33 hazardous waste sites in South Kingstown, among 120 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.
- 64
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 33
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 22
- other remediation projects
- 1
- other solid waste facility
Treatment that fits the local profile
Nitrate
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Radon
Aeration (bubble-up or diffused) whole-house; Granular activated carbon whole-house (lower levels only)
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
Systems we would look at first
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For nitrate
Under-sink reverse osmosis system
under-sink or countertop, about $300
Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.
For nitrate
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 South Kingstown
No water treatment company serves South Kingstown 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 South Kingstown, and you get an email naming it first.
Common questions
How often should I test a private well in South Kingstown?
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 South Kingstown
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 Rhode Island dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 645 samples in South Kingstown. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- RIDEM regulated facilities: 120 regulated sites located in South Kingstown. Leaking underground storage tanks, site remediation projects, closed landfills and active solid waste facilities from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Retrieved September 18, 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.