Groundwater in Madison County contains iron, manganese, and arsenic. Iron and manganese levels exceed EPA health standards, which means well owners should test their water and consider treatment if those metals are present.
Iron and manganese naturally occur in the rock layers beneath the county. As water moves slowly through the soil and rock, it dissolves these metals and carries them into wells. Arsenic also appears naturally in some of these rock layers and enters groundwater the same way.
This county's groundwater is soft but high in sodium. The coastal uplands rock here naturally releases sodium into the water as it flows through. These characteristics are common across wells in Madison County, though the amount varies from well to well.
Wells in Madison County commonly have iron and manganese at levels that exceed EPA health standards. Iron and manganese can harm your health over time, particularly affecting your nervous system and organ function with long-term exposure.
County well water tends to have elevated sodium content. You may notice rusty or brownish staining on fixtures and laundry, metallic tastes, or discolored water from the iron. The good news is that wells here are soft, so you won't deal with scale buildup on appliances or pipes like folks in harder-water areas.
We recommend testing your well water to find out what is actually in it, since every well is different and yours could have higher or lower levels than what is common in the county. A comprehensive metals and minerals panel usually costs between $200 and $400 and will tell you exactly what needs treating. Iron filters or oxidation systems can help reduce these metals in your water.
Not sure if your well is affected? Get certified results in 5–7 days.
Test Your Well Water with Tap Score →| Contaminant | Samples ⓘ | % Above MCL ⓘ | Distribution ⓘ | Confidence ⓘ | Risk ⓘ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 75 | 12% | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Manganese | 58 | 5% | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Arsenic | 44 | 0% | Moderate | Low | |
| Chloride | 1 | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Fluoride | 109 | 0% | High | Low | |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) ⓘ municipal | 6 | 0% | Low | Safe ⓘ | |
| Lead | 44 | 0% | Moderate | Low | |
| Nitrate | 9 | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Nitrite | 1 | 0% | Low | Safe ⓘ | |
| PFHxS ⓘ municipal | 6 | 0% | Low | Safe ⓘ | |
| PFNA ⓘ municipal | 6 | 0% | Low | Safe ⓘ | |
| PFOA ⓘ municipal | 6 | 0% | Low | Safe ⓘ | |
| PFOS ⓘ municipal | 6 | 0% | Low | Safe ⓘ | |
| Radon | 1 | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Sulfate | 1 | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Uranium | 12 | 0% | Low | Safe | |
| Sodium | 1 | — | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| pH | 1 | — | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| PFBS ⓘ municipal | 6 | — | Low | Safe ⓘ | |
| Hardness | 1 | — | Low | Low ⓘ |
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA limit for public water; used as benchmark for private wells). Distribution shows % of sampled wells in each concentration band. Methodology.
* Microbial contaminants (E. coli, coliform) reflect only samples from the last 10 years.
Data shows potential risk — a certified test confirms whether your water is affected.
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