Well water testing in Lancaster County, South Carolina
What official data says about private wells in Lancaster County, what to test for, and the state-certified labs nearby.
About 30% of the county's 85,842 residents. Rank 13 of 46 in South Carolina.
95% range 241 to 717 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 18 of 46 in South 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 Lancaster 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:
- Clemson Extension says comprehensive testing should be done after a well is installed and whenever recent results are not available. That covers arsenic, chloride, copper, fluoride, hardness, iron, lead, manganese, nitrate, pH, radium, sodium, sulfate, total coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids (TDS) and uranium. It recommends annual testing for priority parameters, including bacteria, nitrates, TDS and pH, and a monthly visual check for changes in turbidity, color, odor or taste. source
- Clemson Extension suggests a minerals and metals analysis if you notice unusual taste, odor, or staining of laundry or plumbing fixtures, or if you are thinking about installing a water treatment system. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 402 people using private wells in Lancaster County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 241 to 717). 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 Lancaster 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 |
|---|---|---|
| York County | 6,446 people (2010 base year) | |
| Florence County | 2,317 people (2010 base year) | |
| Berkeley County | 2,150 people (2010 base year) | |
| Horry County | 2,106 people (2010 base year) | |
| Charleston County | 1,743 people (2010 base year) | |
| Lancaster County (this county) | 402 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 Lancaster 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. 5 public systems that serve ZIP codes mainly in Lancaster County reported results. 2 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamplighter South-Danby | NC0160156 | 5.4 | |
| Lancaster City Of (Sc2910001) | SC2910001 | 4 |
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 South Carolina
- SCDES says well owners over age 65, or on public assistance (such as food stamps, WIC or Medicaid), can get one coliform bacteria test and one metals and minerals analysis from its lab each year, free of charge. You need to provide a copy of a driver's license or proof of assistance. source
- SCDES has an application for private well owners who want their well assessed for PFAS. SCDES staff or contractors sample, test and give remediation recommendations. Where PFAS are found, owners may be eligible for a filtration system or for funding to connect to public water. source
- Clemson Extension's Be Well Informed program has a free, self-paced online course for well owners with modules on South Carolina water resources, well maintenance and water quality, plus a three-part fact sheet series on well components, water quality and treatment options. source
- For help understanding your results, SCDES points well owners to the Be Well Informed webpage, which gives feedback on health concerns and treatment choices. source
Buying a home with a well in Lancaster County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Lancaster County, SC
- 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 Lancaster County
Testing by mail from Lancaster County. SCDES Well Water Quality Testing Services page; no effective date is printed publishes these prices: Coliform bacteria test (total coliform, then E. coli if coliform is found) $20; Metals and minerals analysis (alkalinity, calcium, chloride, copper, hardness, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, nitrate/nitrite, pH, zinc) $50; Each added inorganic test, such as fluoride, sodium or total dissolved solids $25 (checked 3 Nov 2026) source. All South Carolina state-lab prices and how to get a kit.
Labs on the South Carolina list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: AQUATIC ANALYTICS LLC (Summerville). Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all South 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)
- SCDES Commercial Environmental Laboratory Mapping (CELMAPP) - certified commercial laboratories, Safe Drinking Water (no date printed; CELMAPP data last refreshed 2026-10-10 (LastRefreshDate of SCDES's details table))
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