Data & Methodology — Lincoln County

Full contaminant data, sample history, and sourcing for Lincoln County. For readers who want to go beyond the summary.

Contaminant Data — All Analytes

148 well testing events on record, covering 18 analytes. Data spans 1966 to 2023.

Contaminant Samples Years Detection Rate Distribution LowModHigh vs. Limit vs. MN Avg
Manganese 132 1966–2025 100%
2210% of limit ↑ 350% above
Iron 117 1966–2025 90%
333% of limit ↓ 53% below
Sulfate 131 1966–2025 100%
192% of limit ↑ 915% above
Nitrate 32 1966–1998 100%
10% of limit ↓ 59% below
Lead 100 1993–2025 2%
179% of limit ↑ 301% above
Arsenic 89 1993–2025 63%
19% of limit ↓ 78% below
Chloride 132 1966–2025 100%
6% of limit ↓ 27% below
Fluoride 45 1966–2025 71%
10% of limit ↑ 43% above
HFPO-DA (GenX) municipal 9 2025 0%
— —
Nitrite 8 1994–1998 100%
0% of limit ↓ 75% below
PFHxS municipal 9 2025 0%
— —
PFNA municipal 9 2025 0%
— —
PFOA municipal 9 2025 0%
— —
PFOS municipal 9 2025 0%
— —
Sodium 117 1966–2025 98%
— ↓ 28% below
pH 10 1966–1972 100%
— ~ typical
PFBS municipal 9 2025 0%
— —
Hardness 23 1966–1972 100%
— ↑ 222% above

Distribution shows the share of samples in each concentration band relative to the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): Low = below half the MCL, Moderate = between half and the MCL, High = above the MCL. Analytes without an MCL (e.g. sodium, pH) show — in the limit columns. State average is based on county median values across MN.

Compare your result with Lincoln County

Of the 89 arsenic tests on record for Lincoln County (1993–2025), 37% found none, and half were below 1.45 µg/L.

Of the 132 chloride tests on record for Lincoln County (1966–2025), 0% found none, and half were below 14 mg/L.

Of the 45 fluoride tests on record for Lincoln County (1966–2025), 29% found none, and half were below 300 µg/L.

Of the 117 iron tests on record for Lincoln County (1966–2025), 10% found none, and half were below 896 µg/L.

Of the 100 lead tests on record for Lincoln County (1993–2025), 98% found none.

Of the 132 manganese tests on record for Lincoln County (1966–2025), 0% found none, and half were below 1.1 mg/L.

Of the 32 nitrate tests on record for Lincoln County (1966–1998), 0% found none, and half were below 990 µg/L.

Of the 131 sulfate tests on record for Lincoln County (1966–2025), 0% found none, and half were below 480 mg/L.

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Data Coverage & Gaps

Well-sampled analytes (15+ samples)

  • Manganese 132 samples
  • Iron 117 samples
  • Sulfate 131 samples
  • Nitrate 32 samples
  • Lead 100 samples
  • Arsenic 89 samples
  • Chloride 132 samples
  • Fluoride 45 samples
  • Sodium 117 samples
  • Hardness 23 samples

Limited data (<15 samples) — interpret with caution

  • Nitrite 8 samples
  • pH 10 samples

No private-well PFAS data for Lincoln County

We have no private well sampling data for PFAS compounds (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and related chemicals) in Lincoln County. PFAS testing for private wells requires a dedicated lab panel (~$300–$500). If you are near a military base, airport, or industrial site, consider testing proactively. Learn more about PFAS →

Public vs. Private Water in Lincoln County

9 Active public water systems
16,852 Residents on public water
13% Households on private wells

Public water systems in Lincoln County are regulated by the EPA and must test and report contaminant levels. Private well owners are responsible for their own testing — there is no routine monitoring of private wells by any government agency.

CDC Health Outcome Correlations

Where contaminants detected in Lincoln County have established associations with specific health outcomes, we cross-reference CDC PLACES county-level prevalence data. This is a contextual signal, not a causal claim.

Contaminant Associated Condition Lincoln County Prevalence MN Average Source Year
Lead Heart disease rate 5.9% 6.6% 2020
Nitrate Cancer prevalence 6.1% 7.0% 2020

Source: CDC PLACES county-level estimates. Raw data: Download Lincoln County CDC PLACES data →

Data Sources

This report aggregates data from the following public databases:

Methodology

Raw records are downloaded from the Water Quality Portal and normalized to µg/L (ppb). Records are deduplicated by sample ID and date, and certified outliers are excluded. Analyte names are mapped to EPA canonical forms. Detection rates, distribution bands, and MCL comparisons are computed from the normalized dataset.

Distribution bands use the EPA Maximum Contaminant Level as the threshold: concentrations below 50% of the MCL are classed as Low, between 50% and 100% as Moderate, and above 100% as High. For analytes without an MCL (sodium, hardness, pH), distribution is not computed.

State comparison uses the median of county median values across all counties in MN with at least one sample for that analyte.

Last updated: 2026-08-04

Full methodology →