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 pageRadon in West Virginia well water, by county
Radon is rare in tested West Virginia wells: in all 12 counties with enough tests, fewer than 5% of tested wells were over the limit. 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 West Virginia compares with the rest of the country
Across West Virginia, none tested wells had radon in water over 4,000 pCi/L, a level the EPA proposed (0 of 342). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 24. No tested West Virginia well was over, but your own well can still differ, so test it if you're unsure.
Why it matters: It escapes into the air when you shower or run the tap, and breathing it raises the risk of lung cancer.
Radon is a gas given off by uranium in granite and similar rock.
Radon in tested wells, county by county
Share of each county's tested wells with at least one result over 4,000 pCi/L, a level the EPA proposed. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 21 | Rare | |
| Morgan County | 19 | Rare | |
| Wyoming County | 17 | Rare | |
| Kanawha County | 15 | Rare | |
| Fayette County | 14 | Rare | |
| Hampshire County | 14 | Rare | |
| Preston County | 13 | Rare | |
| Pocahontas County | 11 | Rare | |
| Boone County | 10 | Rare | |
| Greenbrier County | 10 | Rare | |
| Mercer County | 10 | Rare | |
| Mineral County | 10 | Rare |
38 more West Virginia counties have 1 to 9 tested wells for radon in water, too few to rate.
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Where to get your well tested for radon in water in West Virginia
A lab West Virginia certifies
Ask for radon in water by name. Results from a certified lab count for a home sale or a loan.
Labs certified by West VirginiaA mail-in kit
Fill the bottles at your kitchen tap and mail them back. We mark the kits that include radon in water.
Compare kitsKeep reading about wells in West Virginia
- Well water testing in West Virginia: how to get tested and what turns up statewide
- Radon in well water: where it comes from, what it does and how to remove it
- Nitrate in West Virginia wells, by county
- Arsenic in West Virginia wells, by county
- Manganese in West Virginia wells, by county
- Lead in West Virginia wells, by county
Questions people ask about radon in water in West Virginia
Is there radon in water in West Virginia well water?
Radon is rare in tested West Virginia wells: in all 12 counties with enough tests, fewer than 5% of tested wells were over the limit. Across West Virginia, none tested wells had radon in water over 4,000 pCi/L, a level the EPA proposed (0 of 342). Across all tested wells in the US it's about 1 in 24. No tested West Virginia well was over, but your own well can still differ, so test it if you're unsure.
Where can I get my well tested for radon in water in West Virginia?
Use a lab certified by West Virginia for drinking water, or a mail-in kit that includes radon in water 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 4,000 pCi/L, a level the EPA proposed. 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.