Well Water Nerd

Well water in Barron County, Wisconsin

In Barron County, 9% of 2,072 private wells tested between 1988 and 2025 had nitrate above the Wisconsin enforcement standard (10 mg/L), according to the UWSP Well Water Quality Viewer.

2,072 private wells tested 2013 to 2024 in state summaries; 2 individual samples from 2 wells, 1965 to 1993. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

What homeowner tests found

Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2013 to 2024. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA. County and state figures combine the town summaries, weighted by wells tested; medians are not combined.

ContaminantWells testedAbove state levelMedian95th pctHighestState level
E. coli333%
Iron33416%16,530300 ug/L
Manganese36011%9,964300 ug/L
Nitrate2,0729%65.810 mg/L
Total coliform359%
Sodium3392%37.620 mg/L
Lead360<1%4115 ug/L
Copper360<1%1.951.3 mg/L
Arsenic575<1%1210 ug/L
Chloride3630%114250 mg/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Barron County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were nitrate (9% of 2,072 wells), total coliform (9% of 35 wells), and lead (<1% of 360 wells). These are ordinary wells tested by their owners, so the shares are the best available picture of a typical well here, with one caveat: people test more often when they suspect a problem.

Iron and manganese exceed the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; these are mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.

What to test for in Barron County

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)79 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
  • Iron16% of 334 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin nuisance level.
  • Manganese11% of 360 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
  • Nitrate9% of 2,072 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
  • Total coliform9% of 35 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin limit (any detection).
  • Sodium2% of 339 local wells tested were above the EPA advisory level.
  • Lead<1% of 360 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
  • Copper<1% of 360 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
  • Arsenic<1% of 575 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.

Contamination sources on record in Barron County

Wisconsin DNR records 79 leaking underground storage tank sites in Barron County, among 295 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.

79
leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
57
lined landfills and transfer facilities
159
other remediation projects

Treatment that fits the local profile

Nitrate
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Total coliform
Inspect and repair the well cap and casing, then shock chlorinate and retest; UV disinfection whole-house; Chlorination system
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
Chloride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation

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What are you worried about?

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Common questions

How high is radon in well water in Barron County?

The median radon level across 1 public samples in Barron County was 440 pCi/L, with a high of 440 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Barron 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.

Towns in Barron County

12 towns have fewer than 30 public samples and are included in the Barron County totals above rather than shown separately: Almena village, Barron, Cameron village, Chetek, Cumberland, Dallas, Dallas village, Haugen village, New Auburn village, Prairie Farm village, Rice Lake, Turtle Lake village.

Sources

  • USGS Water Quality Portal: 8 samples in Barron 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.
  • Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: summaries for 10 contaminants in Barron County, up to 2,072 wells each. Private well samples compiled by the UWSP Center for Watershed Science and Education from the DNR Groundwater Retrieval Network, DATCP surveys, the UWSP Water and Environmental Analysis Lab and county health programs, published in the Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer with Wisconsin DHS. Samples are located to the town, village or city they fall in; one result per well and parameter (the latest) so repeat samples do not double count; wells without a state well number are keyed by location. Shares are against Wisconsin NR 140 enforcement standards (arsenic 10 ug/L, nitrate 10 mg/L as N, manganese 300 ug/L, lead 15 ug/L, copper 1.3 mg/L) and the iron and chloride secondary levels. Many samples were submitted by homeowners with a reason to test, so shares can run above a random survey. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  • Wisconsin DNR regulated sites: 295 regulated sites located in Barron County. Open and closed remediation activities (BRRTS, including leaking underground storage tanks and spills) and landfill and waste sites from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 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.