Data & Methodology — Refugio County

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

Contaminant Data — All Analytes

307 well testing events on record, covering 14 analytes. Data spans 1936 to 2023.

Contaminant Samples Years Detection Rate Distribution LowModHigh vs. Limit vs. TX Avg
Radon 1 2013 100%
110% of limit ↑ 206% above
Chloride 146 1936–2013 100%
143% of limit ↑ 299% above
Arsenic 53 1992–2021 49%
94% of limit ↑ 145% above
Manganese 54 1955–2021 63%
11% of limit ↓ 83% below
Iron 65 1945–2021 62%
25% of limit ↓ 83% below
Sulfate 144 1936–2013 100%
31% of limit ~ typical
Nitrate 66 1937–2013 86%
5% of limit ↓ 78% below
Fluoride 216 1937–2021 100%
22% of limit ~ typical
Lead 53 1992–2021 0%
— —
Nitrite 1 2013 0%
— —
Uranium 22 2006–2021 27%
33% of limit ↑ 115% above
Hardness 105 1936–2013 100%
— ↓ 78% below
pH 53 1945–2013 100%
— ~ typical
Sodium 109 1936–2013 100%
— ↑ 264% 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 TX.

Compare your result with Refugio County

Of the 53 arsenic tests on record for Refugio County (1992–2021), 51% found none.

Of the 146 chloride tests on record for Refugio County (1936–2013), 0% found none, and half were below 356 mg/L.

Of the 216 fluoride tests on record for Refugio County (1937–2021), 0% found none, and half were below 900 µg/L.

Of the 65 iron tests on record for Refugio County (1945–2021), 38% found none, and half were below 39 µg/L.

Of the 53 lead tests on record for Refugio County (1992–2021), 100% found none.

Of the 54 manganese tests on record for Refugio County (1955–2021), 37% found none, and half were below 2.39 µg/L.

Of the 66 nitrate tests on record for Refugio County (1937–2013), 14% found none, and half were below 400 µg/L.

Of the 144 sulfate tests on record for Refugio County (1936–2013), 0% found none, and half were below 77 mg/L.

Of the 22 uranium tests on record for Refugio County (2006–2021), 73% found none.

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Data Coverage & Gaps

Well-sampled analytes (15+ samples)

  • Chloride 146 samples
  • Arsenic 53 samples
  • Manganese 54 samples
  • Iron 65 samples
  • Sulfate 144 samples
  • Nitrate 66 samples
  • Fluoride 216 samples
  • Lead 53 samples
  • Uranium 22 samples
  • Hardness 105 samples
  • pH 53 samples
  • Sodium 109 samples

Limited data (<15 samples) — interpret with caution

  • Radon 1 sample
  • Nitrite 1 sample

No private-well PFAS data for Refugio County

We have no private well sampling data for PFAS compounds (PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and related chemicals) in Refugio 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 Refugio County

6 Active public water systems
5,148 Residents on public water
20% Households on private wells

Public water systems in Refugio 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 Refugio 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 Refugio County Prevalence TX Average Source Year
Arsenic Cancer prevalence 5.2% 6.1% 2020
Arsenic Kidney disease rate 3.1% 3.3% 2020

Source: CDC PLACES county-level estimates. Raw data: Download Refugio 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 TX with at least one sample for that analyte.

Last updated: 2026-08-04

Full methodology →