Manganese is worth checking in Randolph County wells.
1 worth checking, 5 rare out of 6 health checks.
From 13 wells tested in Randolph County since 2007; your own well needs its own test. How to read this
*Manganese: 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.
Not charted, because fewer than 10 wells were tested: radon (1).
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 2 people 64,231 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 Randolph County compares with North Carolina and the counties around it.
Each result puts Randolph County next to the 6 counties that border it, on the chart's 0 to 50% scale.
This one is worth checking in Randolph County.
Manganese1 of 13 wells over
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.
These 5 are rare in Randolph County.
Nitrate0 of 13 wells over
Lead0 of 13 wells over
Arsenic0 of 13 wells over
Uranium0 of 13 wells over
Fluoride0 of 13 wells over
Too few Randolph County wells were tested for this one.
Radon in water1 well tested
None of the 1 Randolph County wells tested for bacteria had it, but every well needs a yearly test.
Coliform bacteria0 of 1 wells had it
E. coli0 of 1 wells had it
E. coli means human or animal waste is getting in, so if a test of your Randolph County well finds it, boil drinking water until the well is fixed.
Iron reached staining levels in 0 of 13 tested wells, and it isn't a health risk.
Iron stains0 of 13 wells had it
Most of the 13 wells tested in Randolph County were last tested before 2010.
An old result shows the water as it was then, so treat these 13 wells as a starting point and test your own.
Most Randolph 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 4 things to check in Randolph County.
- Bacteria
- Nitrate
- Manganese
- Arsenic
What North Carolina offers well owners
- Free testingWe didn't find a free program for all of North Carolina. North Carolina's private well page
- Certified labsNorth Carolina's list of certified labs
- Well recordsNorth Carolina's well record search
- New wellsAll newly constructed private wells must be tested for bacterial and chemical contaminants within 30 days of completion by the State Laboratory of Public Health or a state-certified lab.
Here's what we know about radon and PFAS in Randolph County.
Randolph 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 3 town water systems in Randolph County test for PFAS. 3 of them had at least one test above 4 ng/L, the new EPA limit for PFOA and PFOS. The highest single result was 16 ng/L of PFOS. No well in Randolph 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
Questions people ask about well water in Randolph County
Is well water in Randolph County safe to drink?
1 of 13 wells tested in Randolph County had manganese over the limit, about 1 in 13. Across North Carolina it's about 1 in 15. We don't rank this against other North Carolina counties, because most of these tests are old study samples. 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. So test your own well for manganese before you count on it.
Where can I get my well tested in Randolph County?
Use a lab North Carolina has certified for drinking water. North Carolina's list is linked above, in the box about testing. Ask for bacteria, nitrate, manganese and arsenic, the tests that matter most in Randolph County.
How often should I test my well in Randolph County?
None of the 1 wells tested for bacteria in Randolph County had it, but the CDC still says to test for bacteria and nitrate every year, and right away after a flood, a repair, or any change in taste or smell.
If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. We'd recommend the same thing either way, and we'll tell you when a free option exists. How we make money
Where the Randolph County numbers come from
- People on wells: 64,231 in Randolph County, from EPA estimates built on the 2020 Census (Murray et al.).
- Lab tests: 108 well water samples from 13 wells in the Water Quality Portal, run by the USGS and EPA, 2007 to 2014.
- Neighboring counties: the 6 counties that share a border with Randolph County, from the Census Bureau's county adjacency file.
- Results marked likely overstated: our own check of who tested the wells, when and where.
- PFAS: EPA tests of 3 town water systems in Randolph County under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 2023 to 2025.
- Radon: Randolph County is zone 3 on the EPA Map of Radon Zones.
- State programs and links: Department of Health and Human Services, checked November 1, 2026.