Groundwater in Kings County contains manganese, sulfate, and arsenic as the top contaminants well owners should monitor. Many contaminants here exceed EPA health standards, including arsenic, boron, chloride, fluoride, iron, manganese, nitrate, radon, sulfate, trichloropropane, and uranium, making water testing important for your well.
The Central Valley aquifer system here sits in an agricultural area with a long history of farming and oil production. Arsenic, uranium, and radon come naturally from the rock layers. Agricultural practices add nitrate and pesticides like trichloropropane to groundwater. Saltwater can seep into wells in some areas, raising chloride levels.
Groundwater in Kings County is hard with elevated sodium and sulfate as the dominant minerals shaping water character. These minerals dissolve from the surrounding rock and accumulate because the valley's slow-moving groundwater spends years underground, allowing minerals to concentrate. Hard water with high sodium and sulfate is common across most wells in this county.
Wells in Kings County commonly have arsenic, boron, uranium, radon, nitrate, and trichloropropane above EPA health standards. Arsenic and uranium can damage kidneys and increase cancer risk over time. Radon is a radioactive gas that raises lung cancer risk when breathed in. Nitrate and nitrite harm infants and can cause serious illness. Boron and trichloropropane affect reproduction and development.
County well water is also hard and contains high levels of sodium, sulfate, and iron. Hard water leaves scale and spots on dishes, fixtures, and shower doors. It can shorten the lifespan of water heaters and dishwashers. High sulfate and iron create rotten egg odors and rusty stains on laundry and plumbing. The high sodium content can affect taste.
Testing is the only way to know what is actually in your well, since every well is different and yours may have higher or lower levels than what is common here. We recommend a comprehensive water quality panel to check for all these concerns. A full panel typically costs two hundred to four hundred dollars. Treatment options like reverse osmosis, activated carbon filters, or ion exchange can address specific contaminants once you know what you are dealing with.
Not sure if your well is affected? Get certified results in 5–7 days.
Test Your Well Water with Tap Score →| Contaminant | Samples ⓘ | % Above MCL ⓘ | Distribution ⓘ | Confidence ⓘ | Risk ⓘ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 195 | 55% | High | High | |
| Sulfate | 334 | 48% | High | High | |
| Arsenic | 188 | 38% | High | High | |
| Uranium | 120 | 33% | High | High | |
| Iron | 214 | 23% | High | High | |
| Chloride | 322 | 23% | High | High | |
| Nitrate | 265 | 15% | High | Moderate | |
| Boron | 21 | 14% | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Radon | 8 | 12% | Low | Moderate ⓘ | |
| 1,2,3-Trichloropropane | 21 | 5% | Moderate |
Moderate
Elevated concentration, not % above limit
|
|
| Nitrite | 177 | 1% | High | Low | |
| Fluoride | 244 | 0% | High | Low | |
| PFNA ⓘ municipal | 41 | 0% | Moderate | Safe | |
| Chromium (total) | 21 | 0% | Moderate | Low | |
| PFOS ⓘ municipal | 41 | 0% | Moderate | Safe | |
| HFPO-DA (GenX) ⓘ municipal | 41 | 0% | Moderate | Safe | |
| Perchlorate | 21 | 0% | Moderate | Low | |
| PFOA ⓘ municipal | 41 | 0% | Moderate | Safe | |
| Lead | 113 | 0% | High | Low | |
| PFHxS ⓘ municipal | 41 | 0% | Moderate | Safe | |
| Tds | 21 | — | Moderate | Low | |
| Hardness | 333 | — | High | Low | |
| Sodium | 334 | — | High | Low | |
| PFBS ⓘ municipal | 41 | — | Moderate | Safe | |
| pH | 338 | — | High | Low |
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA limit for public water; used as benchmark for private wells). Distribution shows % of sampled wells in each concentration band. Methodology.
* Microbial contaminants (E. coli, coliform) reflect only samples from the last 10 years.
Data shows potential risk — a certified test confirms whether your water is affected.
Order a Tap Score Test →Population-level CDC data. Not individual risk prediction.
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