About 14% of the county's 203,709 residents. Rank 2 of 67 in Alabama.
95% range 118 to 249 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 2 of 67 in Alabama.
Low potential (average indoor radon may be less than 2 pCi/L). EPA says the map should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing.
Labs with an address in this county, from the official state lists on this site, matched by ZIP code.
What to test for in Baldwin County
Private wells are not regulated like public water: EPA advises owners to test their well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. Your state's own schedule:
- Alabama Cooperative Extension cites the CDC advice to test water quality at least once a year. It also advises testing when a baby is expected, after a flood, when buying a home with a well, or when the water's taste, look or smell changes. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 170 people using private wells in Baldwin County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 118 to 249). USGS describes this kind of estimate as useful "for broad screening of the population at risk", so it says nothing certain about any one well. Arsenic has no taste or smell: test for it by name.
Radon. EPA puts Baldwin County in Zone 3: low potential (average indoor radon may be less than 2 pCi/L). That map is about radon in indoor air, and EPA says it should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing. If radon is found in your air and you have a well, EPA suggests testing the water too: see radon in well water.
For anything specific to your home (farms nearby, old plumbing, a new baby, a smell or stain), use the which-tests checklist. When the results arrive, check your numbers against EPA's limits.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chambers County | 234 people (2010 base year) | |
| Baldwin County (this county) | 170 people (2010 base year) | |
| Mobile County | 144 people (2010 base year) | |
| Houston County | 120 people (2010 base year) | |
| Cleburne County | 119 people (2010 base year) | |
| Covington County | 96 people (2010 base year) |
USGS model estimate for broad screening, not a measurement of any well. Only a test tells you about your own well. Source: USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017), accessed 2026-11-01.
PFAS in public water near Baldwin County (public supply, not your well)
This is public water data, not your well. A private well draws its own groundwater, which can have more or less PFAS than the public supply nearby. Only a test of your well tells you.
Under EPA’s fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5), public water systems sampled their water for 29 PFAS between Jan 3, 2023 and Jun 17, 2026. 14 public systems that serve ZIP codes mainly in Baldwin County reported results. 4 of them had at least one sample with PFOA or PFOS at or above 4.0 ng/L, and 5 had at least one of the 29 PFAS measured at or above its reporting level.
| Public water system | System ID | Highest PFOA (ng/L) | Highest PFOS (ng/L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Coast Utilities Authority | FL1170525 | 25.8 | 35.7 |
| Fairhope Water System (City Of) | AL0000035 | 5.7 | 15 |
| North Baldwin Utilities | AL0000023 | 11 | |
| Belforest Water System | AL0000025 | 4.5 | 4.2 |
4.0 ng/L (parts per trillion) is both EPA’s UCMR 5 reporting level for PFOA and PFOS and the number in EPA’s 2024 limit for public water. That limit is judged on a running annual average, so one sample at that level is not a violation. EPA proposed changes to its PFAS rules in May 2026: see PFAS in well water for the current status and who should test a well. To test your own well, find a lab certified for PFAS.
Method: a system counts for this county when it reports serving a ZIP code whose largest land part is in this county, so a system serving several counties counts in each. Source: U.S. EPA, UCMR 5 occurrence data (by state), file dated Oct 15, 2026; downloaded Nov 1, 2026.
Testing programs and help in Alabama
- To test for bacteria, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) says to call your county health department. You can ask for an environmentalist to collect the sample (there may be a collection fee) or collect it yourself using a container from the county health department. Results take about 24 hours after the lab receives the sample, and there may be a fee per sample. source
- Alabama Extension says ADPH bacteria tests may differ in price by county but are usually very affordable. For nitrate or heavy metals, you may need a certified drinking water lab. source
- The Auburn University Soil, Forage and Water Testing Lab can do an educational screen of well water (metals, pH, nitrate, dissolved solids). It is not a certified drinking water lab and does not test for bacteria. source
Buying a home with a well in Baldwin County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Baldwin County, AL
- VA. Test results are valid for 90 days from the date the local health authority certifies them, unless the local authority says otherwise. VA’s chapter names no list of contaminants: the water must meet the local health authority’s requirements, or EPA guidelines where it has none. Your lender may ask for specific tests.
- FHA. A well test is required in the situations FHA’s handbook lists, among others, and the report may not be more than 180 days old at disbursement.
- USDA. Guaranteed loans need a water quality test for a private well, done by the local health authority or a state-certified lab, and no more than 180 days old at closing.
Lenders can ask for more (extra tests, a particular lab, who takes the sample): ask your lender before you book. Federal rules as read on Nov 3, 2026 source 1 source 2 source 3. Full comparison: VA, FHA and USDA well water test requirements. Loan test kits sold by mail, with price and days to results: kits compared.
State-certified labs in Baldwin County
None of the labs on our Alabama list has an address in Baldwin County. Labs elsewhere in the state may take samples by mail or courier: ask the lab, and check the hold time for bacteria before you send one.
Labs on the Alabama list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: Micro Methods Laboratory, Inc. (Ocean Springs), Mobile Branch Laboratory (Mobile), Nielson Research Corporation (Medford), Prattville Branch Laboratory (Prattville). Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all Alabama labs in the finder and filter by the test you need and by labs that take homeowner samples.
- USGS, Estimated use of water in the United States, county-level data for 2015 (Dieter et al., ver. 2.0, 2018)
- USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017)
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to county relationship file (lab ZIP codes to counties)
- ADEM - Certified Bacteriological Laboratories (Revised: April 7, 2026)
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