Well water in Henderson County, Texas
In Henderson County, none of 123 tested well samples exceeded the EPA limit for fluoride, based on public data from Texas Water Development Board Groundwater Database and USGS Water Quality Portal.
127 individual samples from 85 wells, 1936 to 2022. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.
TWDB samples an ambient monitoring network of wells on a rotation, so these describe aquifers, not a survey of homeowners' tests.
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Henderson 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 | Samples | Detected | Above limit | Median | Highest | Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluoride 1961 to 2022 | 123 | 84% | 0% | 0.1 | 1.7 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1993 to 2022 | 24 | 71% | 0% | 2.02 | 6.8 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Arsenic 1993 to 2022 | 20 | 5% | 0% | 0 | 1.2 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1993 to 2022 | 20 | 5% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1993 to 2022 | 20 | 65% | 0% | 0.005 | 0.398 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Uranium 1994 to 2022 | 15 | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 30 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1936 to 2022 | 127 | 100% | no limit | 15 | 350 | 250 mg/L nuisance level | |
| Sodium 1936 to 2022 | 126 | 100% | no limit | 53 | 206 | 20 mg/L health guideline | |
| Iron 1961 to 2022 | 85 | 84% | no limit | 160 | 41,000 | 300 ug/L nuisance level | |
| Manganese 1964 to 2022 | 22 | 91% | no limit | 4.69 | 134 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Gross alpha (6), Radium (226 + 228) (2).
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What this means
Among contaminants with a federal limit, no tested sample in Henderson County came back above it. That is reassuring, but sampling is uneven: wells that were never tested are not in this data.
Chloride, Iron, 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 Henderson County
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)80 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- Metals panel2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- NitrateRecommended for every private well, especially near farms or septic systems.
- ManganeseDetected in 91% of local samples.
- FluorideDetected in 84% of local samples.
- IronDetected in 84% of local samples.
- CopperDetected in 65% of local samples.
Contamination sources on record in Henderson County
TCEQ records 80 leaking underground storage tank sites and 2 hazardous waste sites in Henderson County, among 100 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.
- 80
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 2
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 18
- lined landfills and transfer facilities
Treatment that fits the local profile
- Fluoride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
- Copper
- Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Chloride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
- 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
Get your Henderson County water tested at home
A licensed local water treatment company tests your tap water in your home, walks you through the numbers, and quotes treatment only if something needs fixing. Free, about 30 minutes, no obligation. Tell us what you need and we match you with a company that serves Henderson County.
Common questions
Is there arsenic in well water in Henderson County?
Arsenic was detected in 5% of 20 public well samples in Henderson County, and 0% 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 often should I test a private well in Henderson 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
- Texas Water Development Board Groundwater Database: 580 samples in Henderson County. Water quality samples from the Texas Water Development Board Groundwater Database, collected by TWDB, groundwater conservation districts and cooperators. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 10 samples in Henderson 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.
- TCEQ regulated sites: 100 regulated sites located in Henderson County. Leaking petroleum storage tank sites, state Superfund sites and municipal solid waste landfills from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. 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.