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Well water testing in Hickman County, Kentucky

What official data says about private wells in Hickman County, what to test for, and the state-certified labs nearby.

People on private wells (2015)2,039

About 44% of the county's 4,612 residents. Rank 71 of 120 in Kentucky.

Arsenic above EPA’s limit (USGS estimate)about 33 people

95% range 25 to 43 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 36 of 120 in Kentucky.

EPA radon zone (indoor air)Zone 3

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.

Certified labs in this county0

Labs with an address in this county, from the official state lists on this site, matched by ZIP code.

What to test for in Hickman 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 Kentucky Division of Water says well owners should have their well water tested every year for bacteria. It lists other reasons to test: a change in the water's taste, odor or appearance, recurring stomach illness in the household, a pregnancy or new infant in the home, a dangerous contaminant in a neighbor's water, and checking how well home treatment equipment works. source

Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 33 people using private wells in Hickman County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 25 to 43). 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 Hickman 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.

Estimated private-well users with arsenic above 10 µg/L: Hickman County and Kentucky's highest countiespeople (2010 base year)
Show the numbers
ItemValueNote
Pike County1,348 people (2010 base year)
Bullitt County421 people (2010 base year)
Oldham County421 people (2010 base year)
Lawrence County355 people (2010 base year)
Letcher County326 people (2010 base year)
Hickman County (this county)33 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 Kentucky

  • To find out which contaminants may be of local concern (some, such as arsenic and radon, are area specific), the Division of Water suggests contacting the Division of Water or Division of Waste Management, a certified drinking water testing lab, a qualified local well contractor or treatment company, or local health or environmental health officials. source
  • If you are concerned about PFAS in your well, Kentucky's Department for Environmental Protection suggests contacting a certified laboratory about testing; it posts a list of certified PFAS labs at eec.ky.gov/PFAS and notes that PFAS testing can be expensive. source

Buying a home with a well in Hickman County

Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Hickman County, KY

  • 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 Hickman County

None of the labs on our Kentucky list has an address in Hickman 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.

See all Kentucky labs in the finder and filter by the test you need and by labs that take homeowner samples.

Sources and method Private-well population is the USGS 2015 estimate of people on domestic self-supplied water. The arsenic figure is a USGS model estimate on a 2010 population base, not a count of tested wells. Labs are placed in a county by the ZIP code on the state list. These figures come from different USGS products, years and methods, so they can disagree with each other (for example, the arsenic estimate and the well population use different base years). Read them as context for the county, not as facts about any one well. Checked 1 Nov 2026. General information, not medical advice.
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