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Manganese in West Virginia well water, by county

By the Tested Water teamLab data from the USGS and EPA Water Quality Portal, 2000 to 2022Updated November 8, 2026

Manganese is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 9 of the 13 West Virginia 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.

Find a manganese test See every county

How West Virginia compares with the rest of the country

Across West Virginia, about 1 in 4 tested wells had manganese over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L (112 of 462). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 7. So manganese turns up in West Virginia wells about twice as often as in the country as a whole, and a test is worth adding even if your county isn't on the list 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%.

CountyWells testedWells over the limitLevel
Wyoming County 17
71% 12 of 17
 Widespread
Raleigh County 10
60% 6 of 10
 Widespread
Hampshire County 16
44% 7 of 16
 Widespread
Mineral County 10
40% 4 of 10
 Widespread
Mercer County 10
30% 3 of 10
 Widespread
Morgan County 94
29% 27 of 94
 Widespread
Fayette County 15
20% 3 of 15
 Widespread
Kanawha County 15
20% 3 of 15
 Widespread
Greenbrier County 10
20% 2 of 10
 Widespread
Preston County 16
12% 2 of 16
 Worth checking
Boone County 10
10% 1 of 10
 Worth checking
Pocahontas County 13
8% 1 of 13
 Worth checking
Jefferson County 38
3% 1 of 38
 Rare

37 more West Virginia counties have 1 to 9 tested wells for manganese, too few to rate.

Download this table (CSV) ยท Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0

Where to get your well tested for manganese in West Virginia

1

Your county health department

West Virginia 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.

West Virginia's private well page
3

A mail-in kit

Fill the bottles at your kitchen tap and mail them back. We mark the kits that include manganese.

Compare kits

Keep reading about wells in West Virginia

Questions people ask about manganese in West Virginia

Is there manganese in West Virginia well water?

Manganese is widespread, over the limit in 15% or more of tested wells, in 9 of the 13 West Virginia counties with 10 or more tested wells. Across West Virginia, about 1 in 4 tested wells had manganese over the EPA health advisory of 0.3 mg/L (112 of 462). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 7. So manganese turns up in West Virginia wells about twice as often as in the country as a whole, and a test is worth adding even if your county isn't on the list below.

Where can I get my well tested for manganese in West Virginia?

Use a lab certified by West Virginia 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 West Virginia'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, Office of Environmental Health Services, with local health departments.