About 20% of the county's 152,238 residents. Rank 5 of 159 in Georgia.
95% range 74 to 160 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 92 of 159 in Georgia.
Moderate potential (average indoor radon may be between 2 and 4 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 Paulding 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 109 people using private wells in Paulding County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 74 to 160). 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 Paulding County in Zone 2: moderate potential (average indoor radon may be between 2 and 4 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) | |
| Paulding County (this county) | 109 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 Paulding 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. 3 public systems that serve ZIP codes mainly in Paulding County reported results. 1 of them had at least one sample with PFOA or PFOS at or above 4.0 ng/L, and 2 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paulding County Water System | GA2230002 | 4.5 |
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 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 Paulding County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Paulding 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 Paulding County
None of the labs on our Georgia list has an address in Paulding 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 Paulding 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.
Open the finder →