Well water testing in Richmond County, North Carolina
What official data says about private wells in Richmond County, what to test for, and the state-certified labs nearby.
About 5% of the county's 45,437 residents. Rank 86 of 100 in North Carolina.
95% range 124 to 218 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 79 of 100 in North Carolina.
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 Richmond 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:
- NC DHHS recommends testing a private well every year for total and fecal coliform bacteria, every two years for heavy metals, nitrates, nitrites, lead and copper, and every five years for pesticides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). If you know of a particular pesticide applied in your area, it says to test for it yearly. source
- DHHS also says well water should be tested after repairs or replacements of well parts and after flooding, and that you should test for nitrates if you are pregnant or have an infant at home. It suggests checking the wellhead once a year for cracks or openings. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 164 people using private wells in Richmond County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 124 to 218). 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 Richmond 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 19,183 people (2010 base year) | |
| Wake County | 11,448 people (2010 base year) | |
| Guilford County | 8,187 people (2010 base year) | |
| Rowan County | 7,764 people (2010 base year) | |
| Durham County | 4,608 people (2010 base year) | |
| Richmond County (this county) | 164 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 Richmond 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 Richmond County reported results. 3 of them had at least one sample with PFOA or PFOS at or above 4.0 ng/L, and 3 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlet Water System | NC0377010 | 5.7 | 6.9 |
| Rockingham, City Of | NC0377015 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
| Richmond County Water System | NC0377109 | 4.7 |
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 North Carolina
- DHHS says private well water can generally be tested through the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health (through your local health department) or a state-certified commercial lab. Procedures, fees and ordinances may vary from county to county, so it advises contacting the Environmental Health program at your local health department. source
Richmond County Health Department - Environmental Health: well water tests
- Who takes the sample: not stated on the page.
- Turnaround: Please allow 2 weeks to receive results for bacteriological well samples and 3 weeks on all other samples.
- How to book: Online or PDF Well Inspection/Water Sample Request Form submitted with payment; no service before payment; appointment (notify the Environmental Health Specialist before 9:30 am); well casing must be uncovered and sealed. Phone (910)997-8320.
| Test | Fee as printed |
|---|---|
| Bacteria sample | The $50.00 fee will not be refunded if your well is not properly constructed and cannot be sampled. source |
From the department’s own page, read Nov 14, 2026 and re-checked by a second reader. Fees change; confirm when you book.
Buying a home with a well in Richmond County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Richmond County, NC
- 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 Richmond County
Labs on the North Carolina list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: BRUNSWICK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (Bolivia), CARTERET COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (Morehead City), CLAY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (Hayesville), CRAVEN COUNTY HEALTH DEPT.-ENV HEALTH LAB (New Bern), DURHAM COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (Durham), GUILFORD COUNTY HEALTH DEPT. (Greensboro), HAYWOOD COUNTY HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY (Clyde), K & W LABORATORIES, LLC (Midland) and 9 more. Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all North Carolina 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)
- NC SLPH Environmental Sciences - Certified Drinking Water Laboratories (Commercial) (generated on request (no date printed), fetched 2026-11-07)
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