Well Water Nerd

Well water in Humboldt, Wisconsin

In Humboldt, none of 54 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.

54 private wells tested 2017 to 2025 in state summaries; 1 individual samples from 1 wells, 1981. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

What homeowner tests found

Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2017 to 2025. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA.

ContaminantWells testedAbove state levelMedian95th pctHighestState level
Iron333%99656656300 ug/L
Nitrate540%01310 mg/L
Arsenic110%0.419910 ug/L
Total coliform40%
Chloride40%1.588250 mg/L
Sodium30%2.9311.511.520 mg/L
Manganese30%266300 ug/L
Lead30%06615 ug/L
Copper30%0.0310.0790.0791.3 mg/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Humboldt 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 Humboldt

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)3 leaking underground storage tank 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.

Contamination sources on record in Humboldt

Wisconsin DNR records 3 leaking underground storage tank sites in Humboldt, among 9 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.

3
leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
2
lined landfills and transfer facilities
4
other remediation projects

Treatment that fits the local profile

Chloride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation

Get your Humboldt water tested at home

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What are you worried about?

The test is free and there is no obligation. Your details go only to the company named above, and we log the time and address of this request.

Common questions

How often should I test a private well in Humboldt?

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

  • USGS Water Quality Portal: 1 samples in Humboldt. 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 9 contaminants in Humboldt, up to 54 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: 9 regulated sites located in Humboldt. 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.