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Getting your well water tested in Mississippi

Use a lab Mississippi certifies, or a mail-in kit. Across the state, the ones worth testing for are manganese and arsenic, plus bacteria and nitrate every year.

Compare lab tests Find my county

About 507,000 people in Mississippi get their water from a private well, about 2 in 10 residents.

Three ways to get tested, cheapest first.

2

A lab Mississippi certifies

The state's list of labs certified for drinking water. Many sell bottles you pick up or get by mail, and their results count for a home sale or loan.

Labs certified by Mississippi
3

A mail-in kit

Order online, fill the bottles at your kitchen tap and get results by email in about a week. Full well tests run about $210 to $220.

Compare kits for Mississippi

What turns up in Mississippi wells.

Share of tested wells over the limit, from lab tests the USGS, EPA and state agencies collected since 2000. Your own well needs its own test.

Tested wells over the limit, statewide
Manganese33%119 of 364Arsenic5%10 of 184Nitrate2%3 of 195Uranium0%0 of 137Radon0%0 of 63Lead0%0 of 138Fluoride0%0 of 192
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria29%24 of 82
StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains42%152 of 364

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

Lab results: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA)

Find your county.

5 counties have a full report with local test results and well depths.

BolivarFranklinHarrisonSunflowerWashington
Every county in Mississippi: people on wells and typical depth
CountyPeople on private wellsShare of residentsTypical well depth
Jackson County33,09723%230 ft
Harrison County24,53212%357 ft
Pearl River County23,67742%225 ft
Marshall County20,36660%155 ft
Rankin County17,42711%300 ft
Lincoln County14,40341%110 ft
Tate County13,45548%150 ft
DeSoto County12,5297%144 ft
Hancock County11,60325%200 ft
Simpson County11,37344%170 ft
Lee County10,13212%340 ft
Lowndes County9,64916%225 ft
Stone County9,10050%103 ft
Madison County8,2968%350 ft
Monroe County8,24624%240 ft
Lauderdale County8,19411%300 ft
Clarke County7,87850%240 ft
Itawamba County7,77733%140 ft
Jasper County7,71247%155 ft
Pontotoc County7,47924%285 ft
Alcorn County7,24621%150 ft
Leake County7,16234%105 ft
Chickasaw County6,79740%447 ft
Pike County6,77217%120 ft
Yazoo County6,69525%422 ft
Walthall County6,67148%126 ft
Union County6,54124%380 ft
George County6,38326%104 ft
Attala County6,37136%125 ft
Perry County6,37155%105 ft
Forrest County6,1668%98 ft
Lafayette County6,09211%162 ft
Oktibbeha County6,07112%767 ft
Greene County6,04845%115 ft
Kemper County5,99967%170 ft
Copiah County5,99021%150 ft
Panola County5,95518%160 ft
Adams County5,48819%185 ft
Jones County5,3878%125 ft
Covington County5,22929%115 ft
Amite County5,21441%115 ft
Hinds County5,1072%325 ft
Newton County4,96823%236 ft
Marion County4,55519%125 ft
Holmes County4,50126%170 ft
Bolivar County4,48914%520 ft
Choctaw County4,29352%153 ft
Franklin County4,22355%148 ft
Scott County3,97414%271 ft
Smith County3,91828%130 ft
Tallahatchie County3,80630%400 ft
Winston County3,70921%128 ft
Warren County3,5898%140 ft
Tippah County3,57816%210 ft
Benton County3,47345%150 ft
Clay County3,44218%400 ft
Lamar County3,1135%90 ft
Sunflower County3,10512%800 ft
Tishomingo County2,83315%120 ft
Calhoun County2,82721%206 ft
Grenada County2,74913%335 ft
Yalobusha County2,74022%123 ft
Montgomery County2,59126%198 ft
Claiborne County2,54728%160 ft
Washington County2,4485%450 ft
Prentiss County2,0948%210 ft
Lawrence County2,04517%129 ft
Webster County2,01020%200 ft
Leflore County2,0017%682 ft
Coahoma County1,8859%727 ft
Noxubee County1,87718%760 ft
Wayne County1,8259%100 ft
Carroll County1,65417%257 ft
Humphreys County1,64721%764 ft
Jefferson County1,31418%164 ft
Wilkinson County1,19414%155 ft
Quitman County81213%550 ft
Neshoba County7903%123 ft
Sharkey County48513%690 ft
Jefferson Davis County4134%130 ft
Tunica County2322%115 ft
Issaquena County927%782 ft

Questions people ask about well water in Mississippi

Does Mississippi require private wells to be tested?

Mississippi doesn't require routine testing of existing private wells. Keeping a well safe is up to the owner, so test for bacteria and nitrate every year.

Where can I get my well water tested in Mississippi?

Otherwise, use a lab certified by Mississippi for drinking water. The state's list is linked on this page.

Where these numbers come from

  • How many people use wells: EPA estimates from the 2020 Census.
  • Lab tests: Water Quality Portal (USGS and EPA), well samples since 2000.
  • State programs and links: Mississippi State Department of Health.