Well Water Nerd

Well water in Rusk County, Wisconsin

In Rusk County, 2% of 900 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.

900 private wells tested 2005 to 2023 in state summaries; 2 individual samples from 1 wells, 1977 to 2013. Data refreshed September 9, 2026.

What homeowner tests found

Wisconsin Well Water Quality Viewer samples: private wells tested and reported to the state, 2005 to 2023. 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
Iron729%5,209300 ug/L
Manganese714%697300 ug/L
Nitrate9002%18.510 mg/L
Arsenic520%2.810 ug/L
Total coliform100%
Chloride90%123250 mg/L
Lead70%1115 ug/L
Copper70%0.0911.3 mg/L
Sodium70%820 mg/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Rusk County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were nitrate (2% of 900 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 Rusk County

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)46 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
  • Nitrate2% of 900 local wells tested were above the Wisconsin enforcement standard.
  • Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
  • RadonMedian local reading is 390 pCi/L.
  • FluorideDetected in 100% of local samples.

Contamination sources on record in Rusk County

Wisconsin DNR records 46 leaking underground storage tank sites in Rusk County, among 153 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.

46
leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
28
lined landfills and transfer facilities
79
other remediation projects

Treatment that fits the local profile

Fluoride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation

Get your Rusk County water tested at home

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Common questions

How high is radon in well water in Rusk County?

The median radon level across 1 public samples in Rusk County was 390 pCi/L, with a high of 390 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

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

22 towns have fewer than 30 public samples and are included in the Rusk County totals above rather than shown separately: Big Falls, Bruce village, Cedar Rapids, Conrath village, Glen Flora village, Grow, Hawkins, Hawkins village, Hubbard, Ingram village, Lawrence, Marshall, Murry, Richland, Sheldon village, South Fork, Strickland, Tony village, True, Weyerhaeuser village, Wilkinson, Wilson.

Sources

  • USGS Water Quality Portal: 5 samples in Rusk 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 9 contaminants in Rusk County, up to 900 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: 153 regulated sites located in Rusk 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.