About 34% of the county's 6,861 residents. Rank 14 of 14 in Vermont.
95% range 24 to 54 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 14 of 14 in Vermont.
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 Grand Isle 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:
- Bacteria every year. Inorganic chemicals and gross alpha radiation every five years. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 36 people using private wells in Grand Isle County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 24 to 54). 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 Grand Isle 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Orange County | 2,129 people (2010 base year) | |
| Washington County | 1,454 people (2010 base year) | |
| Caledonia County | 1,302 people (2010 base year) | |
| Orleans County | 937 people (2010 base year) | |
| Franklin County | 899 people (2010 base year) | |
| Grand Isle County (this county) | 36 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.
Buying a home with a well in Grand Isle County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Grand Isle County, VT
- 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 Grand Isle County
None of the labs on our Vermont list has an address in Grand Isle 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.
Testing by mail from Grand Isle County. Vermont Department of Health Laboratory publishes these prices: Bacteria (Kit A) $14; Inorganic chemicals (Kit C) $100; Gross alpha radiation (Kit RA) $45 (checked 1 Nov 2026) source. All Vermont state-lab prices and how to get a kit.
Labs on the Vermont list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: Endyne, Inc. (Lebanon), Nelson Analytical (Manchester), Seacoast Analytical Services (Lee). Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all Vermont 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)
- Vermont Department of Health - Laboratories Certified for Drinking Water Analysis (September 28, 2026)
Filter by the test you need and by labs that take homeowner samples.
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