Well water in Burlington, Vermont
In Burlington, none of 76 private wells tested had arsenic above the Vermont limit (10 ug/L), according to the Vermont Department of Health.
76 private wells tested in state summaries. Data refreshed .
What homeowner tests found
Vermont Tracking private well summaries: private wells tested and reported to the state. 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 | Median | 95th pct | Highest | State level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | 76 | 0% | * | 1 | 4 | 10 ug/L | |
| Fluoride | 76 | 0% | 0.15 | 0.725 | 1.8 | 4 mg/L | |
| Nitrate | 71 | 0% | 0.25 | 0.43 | 4.41 | 10 mg/L | |
| Uranium | 70 | 0% | * | 3 | 25 | 20 ug/L |
* suppressed by the publisher because too few wells were tested.
Get the free Burlington well report
One email with the numbers above, what they mean for a home in Burlington, exactly which tests to order, and what treatment fits the local profile. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.
What this means
Among homeowners in Burlington who sent a sample to the state lab, no health-based limit was exceeded often enough to publish a share. That is good news, but a single well can still be the exception.
What to test for in Burlington
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)154 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS2 unlined landfills on record locally.
- Metals panel103 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- NitrateRecommended for every private well, especially near farms or septic systems.
Contamination sources on record in Burlington
Vermont ANR records 154 leaking underground storage tank sites, 2 unlined landfills, 103 hazardous waste sites, and 7 reported spills and releases in Burlington, among 331 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.
- 154
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 2
- unlined landfillsOlder unlined landfills are a leading source of PFAS, VOCs and metals in nearby wells.
- 103
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 7
- reported spills and releasesMost spills are fuel; a few are solvents or chemicals that reach the water table.
- 65
- registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
Book a free water test in Burlington
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.
Common questions
How often should I test a private well in Burlington?
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
- Vermont Tracking private well summaries: summaries for 4 contaminants in Burlington, up to 76 wells each. Town summaries of private well tests reported to the Vermont Department of Health, published through Vermont Environmental Public Health Tracking. Shares are against the limit Vermont applies to each analyte: arsenic 10 ug/L, uranium 20 ug/L (stricter than EPA), fluoride 4 mg/L, nitrate 10 mg/L, gross alpha 15 pCi/L, radon 4,000 pCi/L advisory. Only towns with 20 or more results are published; statistics below the reporting limit show as *. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- Vermont ANR regulated sites: 331 regulated sites located in Burlington. Hazardous waste sites, landfills and underground storage tanks from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. 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.