About 66% of the county's 6,572 residents. Rank 44 of 95 in Tennessee.
95% range 50 to 149 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 18 of 95 in Tennessee.
Highest potential (average indoor radon may be greater than 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 Hancock 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:
- TDEC's Division of Water Resources strongly recommends testing private water supplies for bacteria every year. If the well tests positive, disinfect it and retest. source
- The Tennessee Department of Health suggests bacteria every year (multiple samples), chemicals such as nitrate and metals every two years, VOCs every few years if you are near industry, and radon if your home has elevated indoor radon. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 86 people using private wells in Hancock County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 50 to 149). 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 Hancock County in Zone 1: highest potential (average indoor radon may be greater than 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hawkins County | 766 people (2010 base year) | |
| Sevier County | 401 people (2010 base year) | |
| Fayette County | 361 people (2010 base year) | |
| Grainger County | 312 people (2010 base year) | |
| Henry County | 225 people (2010 base year) | |
| Hancock County (this county) | 86 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 Tennessee
- For questions about total coliform sampling, TDEC directs you to the Environmental Field Office or contract county for your location. TDEC has no funding or financing program for private wells, but links to outside financing programs. source
- The Department of Health advises reviewing your results with TDEC's Division of Water Resources; a treatment system may be needed depending on the results. source
Buying a home with a well in Hancock County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Hancock County, TN
- 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 Hancock County
None of the labs on our Tennessee list has an address in Hancock 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.
Labs on the Tennessee list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: Tennessee Tech University Water Center (Cookeville). Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all Tennessee 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)
- TDEC Division of Water Resources - Commercial Laboratories Certified for Drinking Water Analysis + TDEC Division of Water Resources - Microbiological Laboratories Certified for Drinking Water Analyses (10/2/2026 (page footers 10/06/2026); As of October 2, 2026 (PDF title; page footers 10/06/2026))
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