Free testing, with limits
South Carolina tests wells for free for people over 65 or on public assistance. Check which tests it includes before you count on it for nitrate.
South Carolina's private well pageNitrate in South Carolina well water, by county
Nitrate is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 1 of the 7 South Carolina 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 South Carolina compares with the rest of the country
Across South Carolina, about 1 in 22 tested wells had nitrate over the EPA limit of 10 mg/L (13 of 290). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 12. That's less often than in the country as a whole. Counties still differ, so check yours below.
Why it matters: It's dangerous for babies under 6 months, because it keeps their blood from carrying enough oxygen.
Nitrate soaks down into groundwater from fertilizer, manure and septic systems.
Nitrate in tested wells, county by county
Share of each county's tested wells with at least one result over the EPA limit of 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orangeburg County | 36 | Widespread | |
| Colleton County | 16 | Worth checking | |
| Aiken County | 35 | Rare | |
| Richland County | 34 | Rare | |
| Charleston County | 18 | Rare | |
| Beaufort County | 15 | Rare | |
| Berkeley County | 15 | Rare |
36 more South Carolina counties have 1 to 9 tested wells for nitrate, too few to rate.
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Where to get your well tested for nitrate in South Carolina
A lab South Carolina certifies
Ask for nitrate by name. Results from a certified lab count for a home sale or a loan.
Labs certified by South CarolinaA mail-in kit
Fill the bottles at your kitchen tap and mail them back. We mark the kits that include nitrate.
Compare kitsKeep reading about wells in South Carolina
- Well water testing in South Carolina: how to get tested and what turns up statewide
- Nitrate in well water: where it comes from, what it does and how to remove it
- Arsenic in South Carolina wells, by county
- Uranium in South Carolina wells, by county
- Manganese in South Carolina wells, by county
- Lead in South Carolina wells, by county
Questions people ask about nitrate in South Carolina
Is there nitrate in South Carolina well water?
Nitrate is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 1 of the 7 South Carolina counties with 10 or more tested wells. Across South Carolina, about 1 in 22 tested wells had nitrate over the EPA limit of 10 mg/L (13 of 290). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 12. 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 nitrate in South Carolina?
South Carolina tests wells for free for people over 65 or on public assistance. If that doesn't cover you, use a lab certified by South Carolina for drinking water, or a mail-in kit that includes nitrate from a certified lab.
See South 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 limit of 10 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 Environmental Services (SCDES).