About 49% of the county's 13,405 residents. Rank 39 of 115 in Missouri.
95% range 41 to 68 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 53 of 115 in Missouri.
Moderate potential (average indoor radon may be between 2 and 4 pCi/L). EPA says the map should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing.
Labs with an address in this county, from the official state lists on this site, matched by ZIP code.
What to test for in Wayne County
Private wells are not regulated like public water: EPA advises owners to test their well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH. Your state's own schedule:
- The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) recommends testing your well at least once a year, and any time the well is serviced or the water changes in look, smell or taste. source
- DHSS says to test each year for total coliform bacteria, E. coli and nitrate, and for other contaminants you suspect. Also test if there are known well water problems in your area, after flooding, land disturbance or nearby waste disposal, or after you repair or replace any part of the well system. If you live in an area with current or past mining, DHSS recommends a metals test. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 52 people using private wells in Wayne County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 41 to 68). USGS describes this kind of estimate as useful "for broad screening of the population at risk", so it says nothing certain about any one well. Arsenic has no taste or smell: test for it by name.
Radon. EPA puts Wayne County in Zone 2: moderate potential (average indoor radon may be between 2 and 4 pCi/L). That map is about radon in indoor air, and EPA says it should not be used to decide whether an individual home needs testing. If radon is found in your air and you have a well, EPA suggests testing the water too: see radon in well water.
For anything specific to your home (farms nearby, old plumbing, a new baby, a smell or stain), use the which-tests checklist. When the results arrive, check your numbers against EPA's limits.
Show the numbers
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Greene County | 618 people (2010 base year) | |
| Lincoln County | 548 people (2010 base year) | |
| Pettis County | 488 people (2010 base year) | |
| Franklin County | 467 people (2010 base year) | |
| Camden County | 434 people (2010 base year) | |
| Wayne County (this county) | 52 people (2010 base year) |
USGS model estimate for broad screening, not a measurement of any well. Only a test tells you about your own well. Source: USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017), accessed 2026-11-01.
Testing programs and help in Missouri
- Get a sample collection kit from your local public health agency. Some counties also send a representative to test your well. source
- The DHSS Private Drinking Water Program gives homeowners technical help with water testing, understanding results and treatment. source
Buying a home with a well in Wayne County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Wayne County, MO
- VA. Test results are valid for 90 days from the date the local health authority certifies them, unless the local authority says otherwise. VA’s chapter names no list of contaminants: the water must meet the local health authority’s requirements, or EPA guidelines where it has none. Your lender may ask for specific tests.
- FHA. A well test is required in the situations FHA’s handbook lists, among others, and the report may not be more than 180 days old at disbursement.
- USDA. Guaranteed loans need a water quality test for a private well, done by the local health authority or a state-certified lab, and no more than 180 days old at closing.
Lenders can ask for more (extra tests, a particular lab, who takes the sample): ask your lender before you book. Federal rules as read on Nov 3, 2026 source 1 source 2 source 3. Full comparison: VA, FHA and USDA well water test requirements. Loan test kits sold by mail, with price and days to results: kits compared.
State-certified labs in Wayne County
None of the labs on our Missouri list has an address in Wayne County. Labs elsewhere in the state may take samples by mail or courier: ask the lab, and check the hold time for bacteria before you send one.
Testing by mail from Wayne County. Missouri State Public Health Laboratory, Bacteriology Private Water Test Request form MO 580-3168 publishes these prices: Routine well bacteria test (total coliform and E. coli), handling fee $10 (checked 2 Nov 2026) source. All Missouri state-lab prices and how to get a kit.
Labs on the Missouri list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: Christian County Health Department Water Lab (Ozark), IIA Lab Services LLC (St. Louis), Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services-State Public Health Laboratory (Jefferson City), Newton County Health Department Laboratory (Neosho), Taney County Health Department Laboratory (Branson), Water Smart Testing LLC (Rolla). Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all Missouri labs in the finder and filter by the test you need and by labs that take homeowner samples.
- USGS, Estimated use of water in the United States, county-level data for 2015 (Dieter et al., ver. 2.0, 2018)
- USGS, Estimated county level domestic well population with arsenic greater than 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte, Medalie and Qi, 2017)
- U.S. EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county list (EPA 402/A-16/001)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 ZCTA to county relationship file (lab ZIP codes to counties)
- Missouri DNR - Certified Chemical Laboratories (spreadsheet of all laboratories) (Live export fetched 2026-11-15 (no list date printed in the file))
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