Well Water Nerd

Well water in Bloomington, Wisconsin

In Bloomington, 26% of 34 private wells tested between 1989 and 2025 had nitrate above the Wisconsin enforcement standard (10 mg/L), according to the UWSP Well Water Quality Viewer.

34 private wells tested 1989 to 2025 in state summaries; 11 individual samples from 1 wells, 1960 to 1981. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

What homeowner tests found

Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: private wells tested and reported to the state, 1989 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
Nitrate3426%1.3426.229.410 mg/L
Arsenic30%07710 ug/L
Lead10%77715 ug/L
Copper10%0.0670.0670.0671.3 mg/L
Iron10%276276276300 ug/L
Chloride10%1.61.61.6250 mg/L
Sodium10%33320 mg/L
Total coliform10%
Manganese10%121212300 ug/L

What individual samples found

Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Bloomington. 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.

ContaminantSamplesDetectedAbove limitMedianHighestLimit
Uranium
1981
1127%0%0130 ug/L
EPA limit

Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Fluoride (1), Lead (1), Chloride (1).

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What this means

Among homeowners in Bloomington who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were nitrate (26% of 34 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.

What to test for in Bloomington

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)3 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
  • Nitrate26% of 34 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
  • Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
  • FluorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
  • ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.

Contamination sources on record in Bloomington

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

Treatment that fits the local profile

Nitrate
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
Fluoride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
Chloride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation

Get your Bloomington water tested at home

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What are you worried about?

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Common questions

How often should I test a private well in Bloomington?

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: 14 samples in Bloomington. 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 Bloomington, up to 34 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: 3 regulated sites located in Bloomington. 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.