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Health problems are rare in tested Mobile County wells.

All 6 health checks came back rare here.

From 28 wells tested in Mobile County since 2011; your own well needs its own test. How to read this

Tested wells over the limit MobileAlabama
Manganese0%0 of 28Nitrate0%0 of 28Lead0%0 of 28Arsenic0%0 of 28Uranium0%0 of 28Fluoride0%0 of 28
StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains4%1 of 28

Rare: under 5%Worth checking: 5 to 15%Widespread: 15%+

Lab results: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA)

Who drinks from a well here

1 in 6 people 72,158 people

Nobody else tests these wells. Only you do.

People on wells: EPA researchers' 2020 estimate

Radon risk (a gas from rock)

Less likely, but the EPA still says test your air.

Radon zones: EPA map

Here's how Mobile County compares with Alabama and the counties around it.

Each result puts Mobile County next to the 5 counties that border it, on the chart's 0 to 50% scale.

All 6 health checks are rare in Mobile County.

Manganese0 of 28 wells over

None of the 28 wells tested here in 2011 were over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L, against about 1 in 11 across Alabama. Half the results were under 0.01 mg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 0.036 mg/L or more. Mobile County had none, while all 3 other Alabama counties with 10 or more tested wells had at least one, leaving out 1 county whose results are likely overstated.

Manganese guide

Nitrate0 of 28 wells over

None of the 28 wells tested here in 2011 were over the EPA limit of 10 mg/L, against about 1 in 27 across Alabama. Half the results were under 1.1 mg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 3.7 mg/L or more. Mobile County had none, while 3 of the 5 other Alabama counties with 10 or more tested wells had at least one.

Mobile and its neighbors
Baldwin13%
Mobile0%

Too few tested to show: George, MS, Greene, MS, Jackson, MS, Washington.

Nitrate guide

Lead0 of 28 wells over

None of the 28 wells tested here in 2011 were over the EPA action level of 15 µg/L, against under 1 in 50 across Alabama. Half the results were under 0.52 µg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 1.7 µg/L or more.

Lead guide

Arsenic0 of 28 wells over

None of the 28 wells tested here in 2011 were over the EPA limit of 10 µg/L, against none across Alabama. Half the results were under 0.03 µg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 0.1 µg/L or more.

Arsenic guide

Uranium0 of 28 wells over

None of the 28 wells tested here in 2011 were over the EPA limit of 30 µg/L, against none across Alabama. Half the results were under 0.02 µg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 0.11 µg/L or more.

Uranium guide

Fluoride0 of 28 wells over

None of the 28 wells tested here in 2011 were over the EPA limit of 4 mg/L, against none across Alabama. Mobile County had none, and neither did any of the 4 other Alabama counties with 10 or more tested wells.

Every well needs a bacteria test every year.

No bacteria tests from Mobile County wells are in the public data. Test every year anyway.

Iron reached staining levels in 1 of 28 tested wells, and it isn't a health risk.

Iron stains1 of 28 wells had it

1 of 28 wells tested here in 2011 had enough iron to stain (0.3 mg/L), against about 2 in 10 across Alabama.

Mobile and its neighbors
Baldwin33%
Mobile4%

Too few tested to show: George, MS, Greene, MS, Jackson, MS, Washington.

Iron guide

All 28 wells tested in Mobile County were tested in 2011.

None of the 28 wells has a test from 2020 or later, so a fresh test of your own well tells you more than any of these.

Most Mobile County wells in these records were tested for research or because someone suspected a problem, which can push the shares above what a typical home well would show (how we read the numbers).

One mail-in lab test covers the 3 things to check in Mobile County.

  • Bacteria
  • Nitrate
  • Arsenic

What Alabama offers well owners

Here's what we know about radon and PFAS in Mobile County.

Mobile County is in the EPA's lowest radon zone, so radon from well water is unlikely to be a problem. Radon guide

Between 2023 and 2025 the EPA had 13 town water systems in Mobile County test for PFAS. 2 of them had at least one test above 4 ng/L, the new EPA limit for PFOA and PFOS. The highest single result was 31 ng/L of PFOA. No well in Mobile County has public PFAS results, so the town systems are the best clue to what's in the groundwater nearby. PFAS guide

Radon zones: EPA Map of Radon Zones. PFAS: EPA tests of town water systems, 2023 to 2025

Next door to Mobile County
Baldwin
Elsewhere in Alabama
ElmoreMadisonCalhoun

All of Alabama

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Questions people ask about well water in Mobile County

Is well water in Mobile County safe to drink?

Most tested wells in Mobile County came in under the limits. Of 6 health checks with enough tests, nitrate came closest, at 0 of 28 wells over. Every well is different, so test yours for bacteria, nitrate and arsenic.

Where can I get my well tested in Mobile County?

Use a lab Alabama has certified for drinking water. Alabama's list is linked above, in the box about testing. Ask for bacteria, nitrate and arsenic, the tests that matter most in Mobile County.

How does Mobile County compare with the counties around it?

For nitrate, the share of tested wells over the limit: Baldwin, the one neighbor with data, came in higher than Mobile County, at 13% against 0%. Groundwater doesn't stop at county lines, so Baldwin's 13% is worth knowing about if you live near it.

How often should I test my well in Mobile County?

Mobile County has no public bacteria results for wells, so follow the CDC's advice: test for bacteria and nitrate every year, and right away after a flood, a repair, or any change in taste or smell.

By the Tested Water teamData from the USGS, EPA and Department of Public Health (county health departments); labs certified by Department of Environmental ManagementUpdated November 8, 2026

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Where the Mobile County numbers come from

  • People on wells: 72,158 in Mobile County, from EPA estimates built on the 2020 Census (Murray et al.).
  • Lab tests: 196 well water samples from 28 wells in the Water Quality Portal, run by the USGS and EPA, 2011 to 2011.
  • Neighboring counties: the 5 counties that share a border with Mobile County, from the Census Bureau's county adjacency file.
  • PFAS: EPA tests of 13 town water systems in Mobile County under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 2023 to 2025.
  • Radon: Mobile County is zone 3 on the EPA Map of Radon Zones.
  • State programs and links: Department of Public Health (county health departments); labs certified by Department of Environmental Management, checked November 1, 2026.
Download this county's data (CSV)How we read these numbersReport an error
Test for bacteria and nitrate every yearSee lab tests