Well water in Langlade County, Wisconsin

In Langlade County, 6% of 78 private wells tested between 1996 and 2025 had total coliform above the Wisconsin limit (any detection), according to the UWSP Well Water Quality Viewer.

859 private wells tested 2004 to 2024 in state summaries; 16 individual samples from 6 wells, 1971 to 2024. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

What homeowner tests found

Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2004 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.

Contaminant	Wells tested	Above state level	Highest	State level
Iron	37	16%	5,509	300 ug/L
Manganese	40	8%	1,041	300 ug/L
Total coliform	78	6%
Nitrate	859	6%	23.2	10 mg/L
Arsenic	127	5%	72.6	10 ug/L
Sodium	37	3%	24.6	20 mg/L
Lead	40	3%	41	15 ug/L
Copper	40	3%	1.66	1.3 mg/L
Chloride	75	0%	75.5	250 mg/L
E. coli	5	0%

What individual samples found

Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Langlade 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	Samples	Detected	Above limit		Median	Highest	Limit
Uranium 1994 to 2024	16	100%	0%		1.55	2.11	30 ug/L EPA limit

Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Radium (226 + 228) (8), Fluoride (3), Copper (2), Arsenic (1), Nitrate (1), Iron (1), Manganese (1), Sodium (1), Radon (1).

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What this means

Among homeowners in Langlade County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were total coliform (6% of 78 wells), nitrate (6% of 859 wells), and arsenic (5% of 127 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 exceeds the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; this is mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.

What to test for in Langlade County

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)59 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
Iron16% of 37 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin nuisance level.
Manganese8% of 40 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
Total coliform6% of 78 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin limit (any detection).
Nitrate6% of 859 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
Arsenic5% of 127 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
Sodium3% of 37 local wells tested were above the EPA advisory level.
Lead3% of 40 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
Copper3% of 40 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.

Contamination sources on record in Langlade County

Wisconsin DNR records 59 leaking underground storage tank sites in Langlade County, among 199 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.

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

Treatment that fits the local profile

Total coliform: Inspect and repair the well cap and casing, then shock chlorinate and retest; UV disinfection whole-house; Chlorination system
Nitrate: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
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
Fluoride: Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
Copper: Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis

Get your Langlade County water tested at home

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Common questions

Is there arsenic in well water in Langlade County?

Arsenic was detected in 100% of 1 public well samples in Langlade 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 Langlade County?

The median radon level across 1 public samples in Langlade County was 260 pCi/L, with a high of 260 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Langlade 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 Langlade County

Ackley24% nitrate
Ainsworth0% nitrate
Antigo14% nitrate
Elcho<1% nitrate
Langlade0% nitrate
Neva13% nitrate
Norwood0% nitrate
Polar6% nitrate
Price3% nitrate
Rolling14% nitrate
Upham0% nitrate
Wolf River2% nitrate

7 towns have fewer than 30 public samples and are included in the Langlade County totals above rather than shown separately: Antigo, Evergreen, Parrish, Peck, Summit, Vilas, White Lake village.

Sources

USGS Water Quality Portal: 35 samples in Langlade 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 Langlade County, up to 859 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: 199 regulated sites located in Langlade 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.