Alabama well water by county: arsenic and nitrate
Modelled arsenic and nitrate for private-well users in every Alabama county, what to test for, and where to find a certified lab. Private wells aren’t covered by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
All 67 counties
- Mobile CountyWell users 43,000Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Baldwin CountyWell users 30,300Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.8 mg/L
- Talladega CountyWell users 21,600Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.5 mg/L
- Houston CountyWell users 20,800Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.7 mg/L
- DeKalb CountyWell users 20,600Arsenic about 3 in 100Nitrate 1.4 mg/L
- Covington CountyWell users 15,300Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Jackson CountyWell users 14,900Arsenic about 3 in 100Nitrate 0.6 mg/L
- Blount CountyWell users 14,800Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.9 mg/L
- Lauderdale CountyWell users 13,900Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 1.1 mg/L
- Geneva CountyWell users 12,900Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Lee CountyWell users 11,700Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.5 mg/L
- Randolph CountyWell users 11,300Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.5 mg/L
- Limestone CountyWell users 10,800Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 1.0 mg/L
- Dale CountyWell users 9,900Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Tuscaloosa CountyWell users 9,900Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Chilton CountyWell users 9,700Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Coffee CountyWell users 9,700Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Cleburne CountyWell users 9,200Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Cherokee CountyWell users 9,100Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.5 mg/L
- Madison CountyWell users 8,700Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 2.0 mg/L
- Dallas CountyWell users 8,600Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Winston CountyWell users 8,500Arsenic about 3 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Chambers CountyWell users 8,200Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- St. Clair CountyWell users 7,900Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Washington CountyWell users 7,900Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Marengo CountyWell users 7,700Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Escambia CountyWell users 7,700Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.7 mg/L
- Choctaw CountyWell users 7,300Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Walker CountyWell users 7,200Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Clay CountyWell users 7,100Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Marion CountyWell users 6,900Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Shelby CountyWell users 6,600Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Calhoun CountyWell users 6,600Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.8 mg/L
- Montgomery CountyWell users 6,600Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Autauga CountyWell users 6,500Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Clarke CountyWell users 5,800Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Tallapoosa CountyWell users 5,700Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Fayette CountyWell users 5,400Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Monroe CountyWell users 5,300Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Elmore CountyWell users 5,300Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.2 mg/L
- Marshall CountyWell users 5,200Arsenic about 3 in 100Nitrate 1.2 mg/L
- Jefferson CountyWell users 5,100Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Conecuh CountyWell users 5,000Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Lawrence CountyWell users 4,800Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.7 mg/L
- Henry CountyWell users 4,700Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 2.2 mg/L
- Franklin CountyWell users 4,500Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.4 mg/L
- Etowah CountyWell users 4,400Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.5 mg/L
- Wilcox CountyWell users 4,100Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Coosa CountyWell users 3,900Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Russell CountyWell users 3,900Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Morgan CountyWell users 3,900Arsenic about 3 in 100Nitrate 0.9 mg/L
- Colbert CountyWell users 3,700Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 1.7 mg/L
- Lamar CountyWell users 3,700Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Pickens CountyWell users 3,600Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Pike CountyWell users 3,500Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Perry CountyWell users 3,300Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Crenshaw CountyWell users 3,200Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Hale CountyWell users 3,100Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Butler CountyWell users 3,100Arsenic about 2 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Cullman CountyWell users 2,600Arsenic about 3 in 100Nitrate 1.3 mg/L
- Macon CountyWell users 2,600Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.3 mg/L
- Greene CountyWell users 2,400Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Barbour CountyWell users 1,900Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.5 mg/L
- Bibb CountyWell users 1,400Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.1 mg/L
- Sumter CountyWell users 770Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Lowndes CountyWell users 740Arsenic about 3 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
- Bullock CountyWell users 520Arsenic about 1 in 100Nitrate 0.0 mg/L
Each mark = 1 in 100 well users the model places above 10 µg/L arsenic (scale 0–10)10 mg/L nitrate: the federal limit (MCL) for public systems
- These figures describe the area, not your well. Only a lab test shows what’s in your water.
- CDC says the Well Water Index figures “do not describe risk to individual wells.” (CDC Tracking Network)
- The arsenic model is better at spotting low-arsenic areas than at confirming high ones.
- Well-user counts are 2010 USGS estimates; tract values are averages over each census tract.
- Total coliform bacteriaEvery year
- NitrateEvery year
- Total dissolved solidsEvery year
- pHEvery year
- ArsenicAsk your local health department
EPA: Private Drinking Water Wells · CDC: Guidelines for Testing Well Water
Use a state-certified lab
Alabama Department of Environmental Management lists the laboratories certified to test drinking water in Alabama.
Screening tells you if something is worth a closer look
A lab result is the number you can act on.
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Lab-certified results
ETR Labs Basic Water Quality Test Kit
ETR Laboratories
50+ substances, including lead, copper, arsenic, nitrate, hardness and coliform bacteria
- Analyzed by Environmental Testing and Research Laboratories (ETR Labs), Leominster, MA · ISO/IEC 17025:2017, ANAB certificate AT-2638
- Turnaround: 2–4 business days after the lab receives it
What it can't tell you: It does not test PFAS, and not every result on the panel falls under the lab's accredited scope.
Screening: quick check, not lab-grade
Watersafe Drinking Water Test Kit
Silver Lake Research
Lead, bacteria, nitrate, copper, iron, chlorine, hardness and pH
- Turnaround: Minutes; the bacteria test can take up to 48 hours
What it can't tell you: Each test gives a yes/no or a rough range, not a lab number, and it cannot detect PFAS or arsenic.
A mail-in kit’s lab is accredited (ISO/IEC 17025) but may not be certified by your state. For a home sale, a loan, or a health-department follow-up, use a state-certified lab.
Alabama well water
Sources: CDC Well Water Index (2024) · USGS arsenic and nitrate models · USGS domestic well populations · EPA and CDC testing guidance. Data last updated 2026-10-08. All sources →
How many people use private wells in Alabama?
About 536,400 people across 67 Alabama counties, by the USGS 2010 estimate. USGS models place about 8,900 of them in areas where wells are likely to be above the 10 µg/L arsenic limit. These are area estimates, not well results.
Are private wells regulated in Alabama?
The quality and safety of drinking water from private domestic wells are not regulated by the Federal Government under the Safe Drinking Water Act nor by most state governments and laws. (EPA) Testing and treatment are the owner's responsibility.
Where can I get my well tested in Alabama?
Alabama Department of Environmental Management keeps the list of laboratories certified to test drinking water in Alabama. Only use laboratories that are certified to do drinking water testing. (EPA)