Your county health department
North Carolina 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.
North Carolina's private well pageManganese in North Carolina well water, by county
Manganese is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 1 of the 12 North Carolina counties with 10 or more tested wells. 1 more look high, but those results likely overstate it. 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 North Carolina compares with the rest of the country
Across North Carolina, about 1 in 15 tested wells had manganese over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L (30 of 460). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 7. That's less often than in the country as a whole. Counties still differ, so check yours 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County | 19 | Widespread | |
| Wake County | 37 | Widespread | |
| Craven County | 15 | Worth checking | |
| Randolph County | 13 | Worth checking | |
| Iredell County | 23 | Rare | |
| Greene County | 54 | Rare | |
| Brunswick County | 40 | Rare | |
| Lee County | 41 | Rare | |
| New Hanover County | 50 | Rare | |
| Onslow County | 19 | Rare | |
| Buncombe County | 17 | Rare | |
| Pender County | 14 | Rare |
* Likely overstated. These shares come from a narrow set of wells, so they probably run high for the county as a whole:
- Rockingham County: All of these tests come from the US Geological Survey between 2002 and 2005 in one small part of the county, so this likely overstates it.
- Randolph County: All of these tests come from the US Geological Survey, mostly before 2013 in one small part of the county, so this likely overstates it.
43 more North Carolina 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 North Carolina
A lab North Carolina certifies
Ask for manganese by name. Results from a certified lab count for a home sale or a loan.
Labs certified by North CarolinaA 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 North Carolina
- Well water testing in North Carolina: 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
- Nitrate in North Carolina wells, by county
- Arsenic in North Carolina wells, by county
- Uranium in North Carolina wells, by county
- Lead in North Carolina wells, by county
Questions people ask about manganese in North Carolina
Is there manganese in North Carolina well water?
Manganese is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 1 of the 12 North Carolina counties with 10 or more tested wells. 1 more look high, but those results likely overstate it. Across North Carolina, about 1 in 15 tested wells had manganese over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L (30 of 460). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 7. That's less often than in the country as a whole. Counties still differ, so check yours below.
Where can I get my well tested for manganese in North Carolina?
Use a lab certified by North Carolina 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 North Carolina'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: Department of Health and Human Services.