Full contaminant data, sample history, and sourcing for Augusta County. For readers who want to go beyond the summary.
Contaminant Data — All Analytes
318 well testing events on record, covering
21 analytes.
Data spans 1930 to 2026.
Contaminant
Samples
Years
Detection Rate
Distribution LowModHigh
vs. Limit
vs. VA Avg
Radon
11
1993–2013
100%
9% of limit
↓ 35% below
Sulfate
43
1979–2025
98%
2% of limit
↓ 70% below
Uranium
32
1993–2022
84%
0% of limit
↓ 33% below
PFOS
municipal
17
2023–2025
0%
—
—
PFOA
municipal
17
2023–2025
0%
—
—
PFHxS
municipal
17
2023–2025
0%
—
—
PFNA
municipal
17
2023–2025
0%
—
—
Nitrite
38
1979–2025
5%
0% of limit
↓ 56% below
Manganese
41
1993–2022
27%
1% of limit
↓ 100% below
Nitrate
38
1979–2025
100%
22% of limit
↑ 493% above
Lead
28
1979–2022
68%
1% of limit
↓ 29% below
Iron
42
1979–2022
12%
1% of limit
↓ 99% below
HFPO-DA (GenX)
municipal
17
2023–2025
0%
—
—
Fluoride
43
1979–2025
88%
6% of limit
~ typical
Chloride
43
1979–2025
100%
2% of limit
↓ 50% below
E. coli
1
2004–2022
94%
—
~ typical
Total Coliform
1
2013–2022
0%
—
—
Sodium
43
1979–2025
100%
—
↓ 92% below
pH
42
1979–2022
100%
—
~ typical
PFBS
municipal
17
2023–2025
0%
—
—
Hardness
43
1979–2025
100%
—
↑ 133% above
Distribution shows the share of samples in each concentration band relative to the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): Low = below half the MCL, Moderate = between half and the MCL, High = above the MCL. Analytes without an MCL (e.g. sodium, pH) show — in the limit columns. State average is based on county median values across VA.
Compare your result with Augusta County
Of the 28 arsenic tests on record for Augusta County (1979–2022),
64% found none.
Of the 43 chloride tests on record for Augusta County (1979–2025),
0% found none, and half were below 4.46 mg/L.
Of the 43 fluoride tests on record for Augusta County (1979–2025),
12% found none, and half were below 160 µg/L.
Of the 42 iron tests on record for Augusta County (1979–2022),
88% found none.
Of the 28 lead tests on record for Augusta County (1979–2022),
32% found none, and half were below 0.118 µg/L.
Of the 41 manganese tests on record for Augusta County (1993–2022),
73% found none.
Of the 38 nitrate tests on record for Augusta County (1979–2025),
0% found none, and half were below 2.15 mg/L.
Of the 43 sulfate tests on record for Augusta County (1979–2025),
2% found none, and half were below 4.93 mg/L.
Of the 32 uranium tests on record for Augusta County (1993–2022),
16% found none, and half were below 0.101 µg/L.
Data Coverage & Gaps
Well-sampled analytes (15+ samples)
Sulfate 43 samples
Uranium 32 samples
Nitrite 38 samples
Manganese 41 samples
Nitrate 38 samples
Lead 28 samples
Iron 42 samples
Fluoride 43 samples
Chloride 43 samples
Sodium 43 samples
pH 42 samples
Hardness 43 samples
Limited data (<15 samples) — interpret with caution
Radon 11 samples
E. coli 1 sample
Total Coliform 1 sample
No private-well PFAS data for Augusta County
We have no private well sampling data for PFAS compounds (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and related chemicals) in Augusta County.
PFAS testing for private wells requires a dedicated lab panel (~$300–$500). If you are near a military base, airport, or industrial site, consider testing proactively. Learn more about PFAS →
CDC Health Outcome Correlations
Where contaminants detected in Augusta County have established associations with specific health outcomes, we cross-reference CDC PLACES county-level prevalence data. This is a contextual signal, not a causal claim.
This report aggregates data from the following public databases:
Water Quality Portal (WQP) — groundwater sample results for Augusta County from EPA, USGS, and state agencies. Browse WQP data →
EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) — public water system inventory used to estimate the share of residents on private wells. Browse SDWIS →
Census ACS 5-Year Estimates — well and cistern household counts (variable DP04_0074E) used to calculate the private-well percentage for Augusta County. Census data explorer →
USGS Aquifer Atlas — principal aquifer type underlying Augusta County, which informs which contaminants are geologically likely. USGS Aquifer Atlas →
EPA UCMR 5 (2023–2025) — PFAS occurrence data from public water systems, used as a proxy indicator for aquifer PFAS exposure. Rows marked "municipal" in the table above come from this source. About UCMR 5 →
EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) — industrial facility chemical releases near Augusta County, used in contamination risk scoring. TRI Explorer →
EPA Superfund NPL — National Priorities List sites in or near Augusta County, used in contamination risk scoring. Superfund site search →
CDC PLACES — county-level health outcome prevalence (kidney disease, cancer, heart disease) correlated with detected contaminants. About CDC PLACES →
Methodology
Raw records are downloaded from the Water Quality Portal and normalized to µg/L (ppb). Records are deduplicated by sample ID and date, and certified outliers are excluded. Analyte names are mapped to EPA canonical forms. Detection rates, distribution bands, and MCL comparisons are computed from the normalized dataset.
Distribution bands use the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level as the threshold: concentrations below 50% of the MCL are classed as Low, between 50% and 100% as Moderate, and above 100% as High. For analytes without an MCL (sodium, hardness, pH), distribution is not computed.
State comparison uses the median of county median values across all counties in VA with at least one sample for that analyte.