About 46% of the county's 6,479 residents. Rank 127 of 159 in Georgia.
95% range 21 to 40 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 133 of 159 in Georgia.
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 Calhoun 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:
- The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) recommends testing private wells for coliform bacteria every year and doing a chemical screen (the W33C test, which includes arsenic and lead) every 3 years. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 29 people using private wells in Calhoun County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 21 to 40). 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 Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fulton County | 1,272 people (2010 base year) | |
| Coffee County | 1,077 people (2010 base year) | |
| Bulloch County | 1,024 people (2010 base year) | |
| Colquitt County | 986 people (2010 base year) | |
| Laurens County | 980 people (2010 base year) | |
| Calhoun County (this county) | 29 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.
Testing programs and help in Georgia
- The bacteria test (W35) is available through your county public health department or UGA county Extension office. The W33C private well chemical test is available through UGA county Extension offices. source
- The UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories (AESL) encourage Georgia residents to go through their county Extension office, which helps with sampling, bottles and fees. source
Buying a home with a well in Calhoun County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Calhoun County, GA
- 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.
Here:
- UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories fee schedule, effective Jul 1, 2026: Home loan closing: lead, nitrate, nitrite, coliform/E. coli (W33B), $90 (checked 2 Nov 2026) source
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 Calhoun County
None of the labs on our Georgia list has an address in Calhoun 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.
Testing by mail from Calhoun County. UGA Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories fee schedule, effective Jul 1, 2026 publishes these prices: Total coliform / E. coli (W35) $40; DPH private well chemical test, incl. lead and arsenic (W33C) $122; Home loan closing: lead, nitrate, nitrite, coliform/E. coli (W33B) $90 (checked 2 Nov 2026) source. All Georgia state-lab prices and how to get a kit.
Labs on the Georgia list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: Pace Analytical Services, Inc. - Atlanta (Norcross), Piedmont Water Company (Greensboro), UGA Feed and Environmental Water (Athens). Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all Georgia 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)
- Laboratories Certified by Georgia for Chemical Monitoring + Laboratories Certified by Georgia for Lead and Copper Monitoring + Laboratories Certified by Georgia for PFAS Monitoring (January 9, 2025)
Filter by the test you need and by labs that take homeowner samples.
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