Well Water Nerd

Well water in Black Creek, Wisconsin

In Black Creek, 2% of 202 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.

The strongest signal is arsenic: 41% of 17 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard, too few samples to carry the headline but first on the test list below.

202 private wells tested 2008 to 2023 in state summaries; 38 test results across 11 contaminants from at least 2 wells, 1983 to 2014; nitrate has the most at 8. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

Compiled by Nick at Well Water Nerd from public records. How these pages are built

What homeowner tests found

Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2008 to 2023. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA.

ContaminantAbove state levelWells testedMedian95th pctHighestState level
Iron201,3071,307300 ug/L
Arsenic177.911011010 ug/L
Nitrate20201.992210 mg/L
Chloride205.75.7250 mg/L
Sodium203.13.120 mg/L
Copper200.0020.0021.3 mg/L
Manganese202323300 ug/L
Lead200015 ug/L
Total coliform1

Closer than the town

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 address

What this means

Among homeowners in Black Creek who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (41% of 17 wells) and nitrate (2% of 202 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 Black Creek

  1. 1
    Arsenic
    41% of 17 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
  2. 2
    Nitrate
    2% of 202 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
  3. 3
    Coliform bacteria
    Recommended for every private well, every year.
  4. 4
    Radon
    Median local reading is 1,120 pCi/L.
  5. 5
    Fluoride
    Detected in 100% of local samples.
  6. 6
    Chloride
    Detected in 100% of local samples.
  7. 7
    Manganese
    Detected in 100% of local samples.
  8. 8
    Iron
    Detected in 100% of local samples.

Test your Black Creek well for arsenic, nitrate and coliform bacteria

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 Wisconsin: certified labs, state programs and prices.

Already have results back? Get your lab report read against the Black Creek numbers, $29. Every line explained, ranked by what matters, with the fix for each.

The rock under Black Creek

Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system

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 town centroid. A single well can sit in a different unit, especially near a boundary.

Official help in Wisconsin

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.

Contamination sources on record in Black Creek

Wisconsin DNR records 4 regulated sites in Black Creek, among 4 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
lined landfills and transfer facilities
1
other remediation project

Treatment that fits the local profile

Arsenic

Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange

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 arsenic

Under-sink reverse osmosis system

under-sink or countertop, about $300

Look for NSF/ANSI 58 certification listing the contaminant you need removed.

For arsenic

Whole-house arsenic and uranium filter

whole-house, at the point of entry, about $2,500

Adsorptive iron-based media; sized to your well yield.

For arsenic

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 iron

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

Get on the list for a free in-home water test in Black Creek

No water treatment company serves Black Creek through Well Water Nerd yet. We are signing licensed companies on county by county: they test at your tap for free, walk you through the numbers, and quote treatment only if something needs fixing. Leave your details and you are first in line. Nothing is shared until a company joins for Black Creek, and you get an email naming it first.

What are you worried about?

The test is free and there is no obligation. No company is named yet; your details stay with us until one joins for your area, and we log the time and address of this request.

Common questions

How often should I test a private well in Black Creek?

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 near Black Creek

Closest first. Groundwater does not stop at a line on a map, so the next town over is a fair second opinion.

Want the numbers themselves? Download the Wisconsin dataset as CSV, every county and town, with the sources named.

Sources

  • USGS Water Quality Portal: 38 samples in Black Creek. 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 Black Creek, up to 202 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: 4 regulated sites located in Black Creek. 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.