Groundwater in Bladen County contains iron, manganese, chloride, and human-made chemicals called PFAS, including PFOA, PFOS, and HFPO-DA. Several of these contaminants exceed EPA health standards, which means they warrant attention from well owners.
Iron and manganese dissolve from the sandy and clayey layers that make up the aquifer in this region. Chloride occurs naturally from saltwater that moved inland in past geological time and still sits in deeper rock layers. PFAS chemicals come from industrial use and contaminated sites, and they persist in groundwater for many years once they enter it.
Groundwater in this county is soft but contains moderate iron and sodium. Iron dissolves from the sediment and rock as water moves underground, and sodium comes from the natural salts in the aquifer. These mineral characteristics appear across many wells in the county, though individual wells vary in their exact composition.
Wells in Bladen County commonly exceed EPA health standards for chloride, HFPO-DA, iron, manganese, nitrate, PFOA, and PFOS. Chloride at elevated levels can damage your kidneys and heart over time, especially for people with high blood pressure. PFOA, PFOS, and HFPO-DA are human-made chemicals that don't break down in your body and can accumulate with repeated exposure, raising the risk of health problems including liver damage and cancer. Nitrate is especially dangerous for infants and pregnant women, as it interferes with how blood carries oxygen. Manganese at high levels can harm your brain and nervous system, particularly in children.
Iron in county groundwater creates orange or reddish stains on sinks, toilets, and laundry. You might notice a metallic or bitter taste in your water. The good news is that wells in this county are soft, so you won't have scale buildup inside pipes and appliances from mineral hardness.
Every well is different, and your water may have higher or lower levels than what is common in the county. Testing is the only way to know what is actually in your well so you can treat it properly. We recommend a comprehensive metals and PFAS panel, which typically costs between two hundred and four hundred dollars. Treatment options like reverse osmosis systems or activated carbon filters can remove many of these contaminants.
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 ⓘ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron | 29 | 34% | Moderate | High | |
| Chloride | 34 | 15% | Moderate | Moderate | |
| PFOS ⓘ municipal | 50 | 8% | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Manganese | 25 | 8% | Moderate | Moderate | |
| PFOA ⓘ municipal | 50 | 6% | Moderate | Moderate | |
| Nitrate | 29 | 3% | Moderate |
Moderate
Elevated concentration, not % above limit
|
|
| HFPO-DA (GenX) ⓘ municipal | 50 | 2% | Moderate | Low | |
| Arsenic | 7 | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Fluoride | 29 | 0% | Moderate | Low | |
| Lead | 9 | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Nitrite | 10 | 0% | Low | Low | |
| PFHxS ⓘ municipal | 50 | 0% | Moderate | Low | |
| PFNA ⓘ municipal | 50 | 0% | Moderate | Safe | |
| Radon | 4 | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Sulfate | 33 | 0% | Moderate | Low | |
| Uranium | 7 | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Total Coliform | 3* | 0% | Low | Low ⓘ | |
| Sodium | 22 | — | Moderate | Low | |
| pH | 33 | — | Moderate | Low | |
| PFBS ⓘ municipal | 50 | — | Moderate | Low | |
| Hardness | 33 | — | Moderate | Low | |
| E. coli | 3* | 0% | Low | Safe ⓘ |
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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