Your county health department
Massachusetts doesn't run a statewide free testing program that we know of. Some county health departments test wells or sell kits, so call yours first.
Massachusetts's private well pageManganese in Massachusetts well water, by county
Manganese is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 4 of the 5 Massachusetts counties with 10 or more tested wells. A county's share tells you how likely a problem is nearby. Only a test of your own well tells you what's in it.
How Massachusetts compares with the rest of the country
Across Massachusetts, about 2 in 10 tested wells had manganese over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L (58 of 297). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 7. So manganese turns up somewhat more often in Massachusetts than in the country as a whole. Check your county below.
Why it matters: High levels over many years may affect the nervous system, and babies are more sensitive to it. It also leaves black stains.
Manganese dissolves out of rock and soil, especially in water with little oxygen.
Manganese in tested wells, county by county
Share of each county's tested wells with at least one result over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L. Counties need 10 or more tested wells to be listed. Widespread means 15% or more, worth checking 5 to 15%, rare under 5%.
| County | Wells tested | Wells over the limit | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 12 | Widespread | |
| Plymouth County | 19 | Widespread | |
| Barnstable County | 168 | Widespread | |
| Hampden County | 11 | Widespread | |
| Worcester County | 64 | Worth checking |
5 more Massachusetts counties have 1 to 9 tested wells for manganese, too few to rate.
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Where to get your well tested for manganese in Massachusetts
A lab Massachusetts certifies
Ask for manganese by name. Results from a certified lab count for a home sale or a loan.
Labs certified by MassachusettsA mail-in kit
Fill the bottles at your kitchen tap and mail them back. We mark the kits that include manganese.
Compare kitsKeep reading about wells in Massachusetts
- Well water testing in Massachusetts: how to get tested and what turns up statewide
- Manganese in well water: where it comes from, what it does and how to remove it
- Arsenic in Massachusetts wells, by county
- Uranium in Massachusetts wells, by county
- Lead in Massachusetts wells, by county
Questions people ask about manganese in Massachusetts
Is there manganese in Massachusetts well water?
Manganese is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 4 of the 5 Massachusetts counties with 10 or more tested wells. Across Massachusetts, about 2 in 10 tested wells had manganese over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L (58 of 297). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 7. So manganese turns up somewhat more often in Massachusetts than in the country as a whole. Check your county below.
Where can I get my well tested for manganese in Massachusetts?
Use a lab certified by Massachusetts for drinking water, or a mail-in kit that includes manganese from a certified lab. Some county health departments test wells too, so call yours first.
See Massachusetts's list of certified labs, or compare mail-in kits.
Where these numbers come from
- Lab tests: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA), well samples since 2000. A well counts as over if any of its tests was over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L. Wells tested for studies and monitoring, not a random sample of homes.
- Likely overstated: our own check of who tested the wells, when and where. How we check.
- State programs and links: Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).