Well water in Nicholas County, West Virginia
In Nicholas County, 2% of 234 tested well samples exceeded the EPA limit for nitrate (10 mg/L), based on public data from USGS Water Quality Portal.
1,034 test results across 12 contaminants from at least 121 wells, 1980 to 1999; nitrate has the most at 234. Data refreshed September 15, 2026.
Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built
An estimated 7,345 people in Nicholas County get their drinking water from a private well, per USGS 2015 county water use. That is about 29% of residents.
Separately, the USGS national arsenic model estimates that 1% of the 7,345 people on private wells in Nicholas County draw water above 10 ug/L (the model's range is <1% to 2%), from geology and well depth rather than local tests.
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Nicholas 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 1980 to 1999 | 234 | 76% | 0.044 | 30.1 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Fluoride 1980 to 1999 | 128 | 67% | 0.1 | 1.1 | 4 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Lead 1980 to 1999 | 35 | 14% | 0 | 1 | 15 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1980 to 1998 | 35 | 20% | 0 | 0.02 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| E. coli 1997 to 1999 | 18 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 MPN/100mL EPA limit | |
| Arsenic 1984 to 1999 | 14 | 29% | 0 | 2 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Uranium 1997 to 1998 | 12 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 30 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Manganese 1980 to 1999 | no limit | 145 | 100% | 228 | 22,000 | 300 ug/L health guideline |
| Chloride 1980 to 1999 | no limit | 134 | 100% | 3.25 | 150 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
| Iron 1980 to 1999 | no limit | 133 | 99% | 780 | 160,000 | 300 ug/L nuisance level |
| Sodium 1980 to 1999 | no limit | 133 | 100% | 6.69 | 190 | 20 mg/L health guideline |
| Radon 1997 to 1999 | no limit | 13 | 92% | 90 | 450 | 2,000 pCi/L health guideline |
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
The contaminants most often above their limit here are nitrate (2% of 234 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.
Manganese, Chloride, 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.
What to test for in Nicholas County
- 1Nitrate2% of 234 local samples were above the limit.
- 2Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- 3RadonMedian local reading is 90 pCi/L.
- 4ManganeseDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 5ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- 6IronDetected in 99% of local samples.
- 7FluorideDetected in 67% of local samples.
Test your Nicholas County 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 West Virginia: certified labs, state programs and prices.
Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Nicholas County numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.
The rock under Nicholas County
Pennsylvanian 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 county centroid. A single well can sit in a different unit, especially near a boundary.
Official help in West Virginia
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.
- Individual Water Supplies, WV OEHS
- Water Quality Laboratories Certified in WV, WV OEHS
Treatment that fits the local profile
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
Iron
Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
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 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
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Common questions
Is there arsenic in well water in Nicholas County?
Arsenic was detected in 29% of 14 public well samples in Nicholas 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 high is radon in well water in Nicholas County?
The median radon level across 13 public samples in Nicholas County was 90 pCi/L, with a high of 450 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Nicholas 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.
Counties near Nicholas 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 West Virginia dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.
Sources
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 1,034 samples in Nicholas 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.
- USGS national arsenic model (Ayotte 2017): estimated share of 7,345 people on private wells in Nicholas 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.
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.