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Nitrate is worth checking in Rockingham County wells.

1 worth checking, 4 rare out of 5 health checks.

From 15 wells tested in Rockingham County since 2000; your own well needs its own test. How to read this

Tested wells over the limit RockinghamVirginia
Nitrate13%2 of 15Manganese0%0 of 13Fluoride0%0 of 15Arsenic0%0 of 13Lead0%0 of 12
GermsTest every year, whatever the chart says
Coliform bacteria100%1 of 1E. coli0%0 of 1
StainsNot a health risk
Iron stains0%0 of 13

Not charted, because fewer than 10 wells were tested: uranium (6), 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

5 in 10 people 43,526 people

Nobody else tests these wells. Only you do.

People on wells: EPA researchers' 2020 estimate

How deep wells go here

220 ft Near the surface: fertilizer, germs Deeper: arsenic, uranium from rock 500 ft

Deep wells: fewer surface germs, more minerals from the rock.

Well depths: US Groundwater Well Database

Radon risk (a gas from rock)

Likely here. Test your home's air first.

Radon zones: EPA map

Here's how Rockingham County compares with Virginia and the counties around it.

Each result puts Rockingham County next to the 8 counties that border it, on the chart's 0 to 50% scale.

This one is worth checking in Rockingham County.

Nitrate2 of 15 wells over

2 of 15 wells tested here from 2000 to 2022 were over the EPA limit of 10 mg/L, against about 1 in 28 across Virginia. Half the results were under 5.0 mg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 17 mg/L or more. That's a bigger share than in 12 of the 13 other Virginia counties with 10 or more tested wells.

Nitrate guide

These 4 are rare in Rockingham County.

Manganese0 of 13 wells over

None of the 13 wells tested here from 2000 to 2022 were over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L, against about 1 in 10 across Virginia. At least half the results were too low for the lab to measure, and the top 1 in 10 were 0.042 mg/L or more. Rockingham County had none, while 6 of the 11 other Virginia counties with 10 or more tested wells had at least one, leaving out 1 county whose results are likely overstated.

Manganese guide

Fluoride0 of 15 wells over

None of the 15 wells tested here from 2000 to 2022 were over the EPA limit of 4 mg/L, against about 1 in 31 across Virginia. Half the results were under 0.13 mg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 0.22 mg/L or more. Rockingham County had none, while 8 of the 17 other Virginia counties with 10 or more tested wells had at least one.

Arsenic0 of 13 wells over

None of the 13 wells tested here from 2000 to 2022 were over the EPA limit of 10 µg/L, against none across Virginia. Half the results were under 0.15 µg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 0.3 µg/L or more. Rockingham County had none, and neither did any of the 4 other Virginia counties with 10 or more tested wells.

Arsenic guide

Lead0 of 12 wells over

None of the 12 wells tested here from 2000 to 2022 were over the EPA action level of 15 µg/L, against none across Virginia. Half the results were under 0.14 µg/L, and the top 1 in 10 were 0.53 µg/L or more. Rockingham County had none, and neither did any of the 5 other Virginia counties with 10 or more tested wells.

Lead guide

Too few Rockingham County wells were tested for these 2.

Uranium6 wells tested

Only 6 wells here were tested from 2002 to 2022, too few to say how common it is. Across Virginia it's none.

Uranium guide

Radon in water1 well tested

Only 1 well here was tested in 2013, too few to say how common it is. Across Virginia it's about 1 in 16.

Radon guide

Coliform bacteria turned up in 1 of 1 tested Rockingham County wells, so test for it every year.

Coliform bacteria1 of 1 wells had it

1 of 1 wells tested here from 2013 to 2022 had coliform bacteria, against about 4 in 10 across Virginia.

Bacteria guide

E. coli0 of 1 wells had it

None of the 1 wells tested here from 2013 to 2022 had E. coli, against about 1 in 9 across Virginia.

E. coli means human or animal waste is getting in, so if a test of your Rockingham County well finds it, boil drinking water until the well is fixed.

Bacteria guide

Iron reached staining levels in 0 of 13 tested wells, and it isn't a health risk.

Iron stains0 of 13 wells had it

None of the 13 wells tested here from 2000 to 2022 had enough iron to stain, against about 1 in 3 across Virginia.

Iron guide

Rockingham County has 15 tested wells, and the busiest decade for testing was the 2000s.

11 wells had a test in the 2000s, 8 in the 2010s and 1 since 2020.

Only 1 of the 15 wells have a test from 2020 or later, so a fresh test of your own well tells you more than any of these.

Most Rockingham 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 3 things to check in Rockingham County.

  • Bacteria
  • Nitrate
  • Arsenic

What Virginia offers well owners

  • Free testingVirginia Cooperative Extension's Virginia Household Water Quality Program runs drinking water clinics in about 70 counties each year at $70 per kit, with financial help available through SERCAP. See the program
  • Certified labsVirginia's list of certified labs
  • Well recordsWe didn't find an online search.
  • New wellsVirginia's Private Well Regulations (12VAC5-630) require newly constructed wells to be tested for coliform bacteria as a condition for use; testing at home purchase is not required by VDH.

Half the wells on record here are shallower than 220 feet.

That comes from 851 wells in Virginia's drilling records. Most wells of every kind here are 140 to 350 feet deep. Wells as deep as Rockingham County's are usually better protected from fertilizer and bacteria at the surface, but they can pick up more of what's in the rock, like arsenic and uranium. Typical wells on record here are shallower than in 59 of the 102 other Virginia counties with enough drilling records.

How to find your own well's depth

Well depths: US Groundwater Well Database

Here's what we know about radon and PFAS in Rockingham County.

Rockingham County is in the EPA's highest radon zone. Radon from well water adds to the radon in your indoor air, so test your air first, and your water too if the air is high. Radon guide

Between 2023 and 2025 the EPA had 6 town water systems in Rockingham County test for PFAS. None found any. No well in Rockingham 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

Other counties in Virginia
Prince WilliamFairfaxAccomackVirginia Beach city

All of Virginia

Get a yearly reminder to test your Rockingham County well

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Questions people ask about well water in Rockingham County

Is well water in Rockingham County safe to drink?

2 of 15 wells tested in Rockingham County had nitrate over the limit, about 1 in 8. Across Virginia it's about 1 in 28. That's a bigger share than in 12 of the 13 other Virginia counties with 10 or more tested wells. So test your own well for nitrate before you count on it.

Can I get my well tested for free in Rockingham County?

Virginia Cooperative Extension's Virginia Household Water Quality Program runs drinking water clinics in about 70 counties each year at $70 per kit, with financial help available through SERCAP. If not, use a lab Virginia has certified for drinking water. Ask for bacteria, nitrate and arsenic, the tests that matter most in Rockingham County.

How deep are wells in Rockingham County?

Half the wells on record here are shallower than 220 feet. Typical wells on record here are shallower than in 59 of the 102 other Virginia counties with enough drilling records.

How often should I test my well in Rockingham County?

In Rockingham County, 1 of 1 tested wells had coliform bacteria, so the CDC's advice matters here: test for bacteria and nitrate every year, and right away after a flood, a repair, or any change in taste or smell.

By the Tested Water teamData from the USGS, EPA and Department of Health (VDH), Office of Environmental Health ServicesUpdated November 8, 2026

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Where the Rockingham County numbers come from

  • People on wells: 43,526 in Rockingham County, from EPA estimates built on the 2020 Census (Murray et al.).
  • Lab tests: 161 well water samples from 15 wells in the Water Quality Portal, run by the USGS and EPA, 2000 to 2022.
  • Well depths: 851 Virginia drilling records for Rockingham County, gathered in the US Groundwater Well Database (Lin and others, 2024).
  • Neighboring counties: the 8 counties that share a border with Rockingham County, from the Census Bureau's county adjacency file.
  • PFAS: EPA tests of 6 town water systems in Rockingham County under the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, 2023 to 2025.
  • Radon: Rockingham County is zone 1 on the EPA Map of Radon Zones.
  • State programs and links: Department of Health (VDH), Office of Environmental Health Services, checked November 1, 2026.
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