About 73% of the county's 12,299 residents. Rank 57 of 133 in Virginia.
95% range 238 to 522 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 51 of 133 in Virginia.
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 Lunenburg 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:
We have not found a Virginia schedule yet; EPA's yearly advice applies.
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 355 people using private wells in Lunenburg County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 238 to 522). 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 Lunenburg 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 4,025 people (2010 base year) | |
| Spotsylvania County | 2,771 people (2010 base year) | |
| Chesapeake City | 2,463 people (2010 base year) | |
| Accomack County | 1,987 people (2010 base year) | |
| Frederick County | 1,921 people (2010 base year) | |
| Lunenburg County (this county) | 355 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 Virginia
- The Virginia Household Water Quality Program (Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension) runs drinking-water testing clinics; it held 90 in 2024. Participants pay a fee. source
Buying a home with a well in Lunenburg County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Lunenburg County, VA
- 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 Lunenburg County
None of the labs on our Virginia list has an address in Lunenburg 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 Virginia list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: Coastal Bioanalysts, Inc. (Gloucester). Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all Virginia 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)
- Virginia DCLS - Drinking Water Certified Labs (analyte detail) (Current as of 8/1/2026)
Filter by the test you need and by labs that take homeowner samples.
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