Well water testing in Madison County, North Carolina
What official data says about private wells in Madison County, what to test for, and the state-certified labs nearby.
About 68% of the county's 21,139 residents. Rank 56 of 100 in North Carolina.
95% range 180 to 357 private-well users (2010 base year). Rank 71 of 100 in North Carolina.
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 Madison 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:
- NC DHHS recommends testing a private well every year for total and fecal coliform bacteria, every two years for heavy metals, nitrates, nitrites, lead and copper, and every five years for pesticides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). If you know of a particular pesticide applied in your area, it says to test for it yearly. source
- DHHS also says well water should be tested after repairs or replacements of well parts and after flooding, and that you should test for nitrates if you are pregnant or have an infant at home. It suggests checking the wellhead once a year for cracks or openings. source
Arsenic. USGS estimates that about 253 people using private wells in Madison County had arsenic above 10 µg/L, EPA's limit for public water (2010 base year; 95% range 180 to 357). 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 Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 19,183 people (2010 base year) | |
| Wake County | 11,448 people (2010 base year) | |
| Guilford County | 8,187 people (2010 base year) | |
| Rowan County | 7,764 people (2010 base year) | |
| Durham County | 4,608 people (2010 base year) | |
| Madison County (this county) | 253 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 North Carolina
- DHHS says private well water can generally be tested through the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health (through your local health department) or a state-certified commercial lab. Procedures, fees and ordinances may vary from county to county, so it advises contacting the Environmental Health program at your local health department. source
Buying a home with a well in Madison County
Loan test (FHA, VA, USDA) in Madison County, NC
- 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 Madison County
None of the labs on our North Carolina list has an address in Madison 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.
Labs on the North Carolina list whose own websites say they take homeowner samples: BRUNSWICK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (Bolivia), CARTERET COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (Morehead City), CLAY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (Hayesville), CRAVEN COUNTY HEALTH DEPT.-ENV HEALTH LAB (New Bern), DURHAM COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT (Durham), GUILFORD COUNTY HEALTH DEPT. (Greensboro), HAYWOOD COUNTY HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES AGENCY (Clyde), K & W LABORATORIES, LLC (Midland) and 9 more. Use Check my ZIP to sort labs by distance.
See all North Carolina 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)
- NC SLPH Environmental Sciences - Certified Drinking Water Laboratories (Commercial) (generated on request (no date printed), fetched 2026-11-07)
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