Tap & Air

Private wells

Georgia well water: who's on a well and what to test for

An estimated 1,865,100 people in 795,800 homes, about 18.0% of Georgia homes, above the national 14.6%. Estimates are from EPA's Water Source 2020 model.

People on private wells

1,865,100

Homes on wells

18.0%

Est. above arsenic limit

35,000

Appling County: about 66% of homes on private wellsAtkinson County: about 58% of homes on private wellsBacon County: about 68% of homes on private wellsBaker County: about 80% of homes on private wellsBaldwin County: about 29% of homes on private wellsBanks County: about 76% of homes on private wellsBarrow County: about 21% of homes on private wellsBartow County: about 17% of homes on private wellsBen Hill County: about 28% of homes on private wellsBerrien County: about 57% of homes on private wellsBibb County: about 6% of homes on private wellsBleckley County: about 55% of homes on private wellsBrantley County: about 87% of homes on private wellsBrooks County: about 58% of homes on private wellsBryan County: about 31% of homes on private wellsBulloch County: about 35% of homes on private wellsBurke County: about 66% of homes on private wellsButts County: about 57% of homes on private wellsCalhoun County: about 34% of homes on private wellsCamden County: about 26% of homes on private wellsCandler County: about 55% of homes on private wellsCarroll County: about 33% of homes on private wellsCatoosa County: about 9% of homes on private wellsCharlton County: about 67% of homes on private wellsChatham County: about 4% of homes on private wellsChattahoochee County: about 13% of homes on private wellsChattooga County: about 35% of homes on private wellsCherokee County: about 7% of homes on private wellsClarke County: about 0% of homes on private wellsClay County: about 55% of homes on private wellsClayton County: about 0% of homes on private wellsClinch County: about 42% of homes on private wellsCobb County: about 0% of homes on private wellsCoffee County: about 57% of homes on private wellsColquitt County: about 47% of homes on private wellsColumbia County: about 10% of homes on private wellsCook County: about 48% of homes on private wellsCoweta County: about 33% of homes on private wellsCrawford County: about 85% of homes on private wellsCrisp County: about 42% of homes on private wellsDade County: about 39% of homes on private wellsDawson County: about 46% of homes on private wellsDecatur County: about 45% of homes on private wellsDeKalb County: about 0% of homes on private wellsDodge County: about 58% of homes on private wellsDooly County: about 47% of homes on private wellsDougherty County: about 9% of homes on private wellsDouglas County: about 7% of homes on private wellsEarly County: about 52% of homes on private wellsEchols County: about 89% of homes on private wellsEffingham County: about 47% of homes on private wellsElbert County: about 60% of homes on private wellsEmanuel County: about 49% of homes on private wellsEvans County: about 48% of homes on private wellsFannin County: about 73% of homes on private wellsFayette County: about 16% of homes on private wellsFloyd County: about 18% of homes on private wellsForsyth County: about 15% of homes on private wellsFranklin County: about 59% of homes on private wellsFulton County: about 0% of homes on private wellsGilmer County: about 81% of homes on private wellsGlascock County: about 70% of homes on private wellsGlynn County: about 22% of homes on private wellsGordon County: about 29% of homes on private wellsGrady County: about 58% of homes on private wellsGreene County: about 37% of homes on private wellsGwinnett County: about 1% of homes on private wellsHabersham County: about 46% of homes on private wellsHall County: about 16% of homes on private wellsHancock County: about 64% of homes on private wellsHaralson County: about 50% of homes on private wellsHarris County: about 56% of homes on private wellsHart County: about 68% of homes on private wellsHeard County: about 79% of homes on private wellsHenry County: about 9% of homes on private wellsHouston County: about 4% of homes on private wellsIrwin County: about 64% of homes on private wellsJackson County: about 39% of homes on private wellsJasper County: about 58% of homes on private wellsJeff Davis County: about 61% of homes on private wellsJefferson County: about 45% of homes on private wellsJenkins County: about 59% of homes on private wellsJohnson County: about 66% of homes on private wellsJones County: about 49% of homes on private wellsLamar County: about 58% of homes on private wellsLanier County: about 60% of homes on private wellsLaurens County: about 53% of homes on private wellsLee County: about 39% of homes on private wellsLiberty County: about 17% of homes on private wellsLincoln County: about 78% of homes on private wellsLong County: about 68% of homes on private wellsLowndes County: about 26% of homes on private wellsLumpkin County: about 83% of homes on private wellsMcDuffie County: about 54% of homes on private wellsMcIntosh County: about 55% of homes on private wellsMacon County: about 44% of homes on private wellsMadison County: about 80% of homes on private wellsMarion County: about 77% of homes on private wellsMeriwether County: about 62% of homes on private wellsMiller County: about 71% of homes on private wellsMitchell County: about 48% of homes on private wellsMonroe County: about 68% of homes on private wellsMontgomery County: about 59% of homes on private wellsMorgan County: about 64% of homes on private wellsMurray County: about 43% of homes on private wellsMuscogee County: about 2% of homes on private wellsNewton County: about 25% of homes on private wellsOconee County: about 38% of homes on private wellsOglethorpe County: about 81% of homes on private wellsPaulding County: about 15% of homes on private wellsPeach County: about 28% of homes on private wellsPickens County: about 43% of homes on private wellsPierce County: about 70% of homes on private wellsPike County: about 83% of homes on private wellsPolk County: about 23% of homes on private wellsPulaski County: about 53% of homes on private wellsPutnam County: about 61% of homes on private wellsQuitman County: about 41% of homes on private wellsRabun County: about 65% of homes on private wellsRandolph County: about 38% of homes on private wellsRichmond County: about 3% of homes on private wellsRockdale County: about 11% of homes on private wellsSchley County: about 61% of homes on private wellsScreven County: about 72% of homes on private wellsSeminole County: about 66% of homes on private wellsSpalding County: about 23% of homes on private wellsStephens County: about 33% of homes on private wellsStewart County: about 39% of homes on private wellsSumter County: about 37% of homes on private wellsTalbot County: about 60% of homes on private wellsTaliaferro County: about 72% of homes on private wellsTattnall County: about 58% of homes on private wellsTaylor County: about 55% of homes on private wellsTelfair County: about 42% of homes on private wellsTerrell County: about 38% of homes on private wellsThomas County: about 32% of homes on private wellsTift County: about 29% of homes on private wellsToombs County: about 38% of homes on private wellsTowns County: about 49% of homes on private wellsTreutlen County: about 58% of homes on private wellsTroup County: about 29% of homes on private wellsTurner County: about 37% of homes on private wellsTwiggs County: about 79% of homes on private wellsUnion County: about 64% of homes on private wellsUpson County: about 41% of homes on private wellsWalker County: about 20% of homes on private wellsWalton County: about 29% of homes on private wellsWare County: about 26% of homes on private wellsWarren County: about 57% of homes on private wellsWashington County: about 51% of homes on private wellsWayne County: about 57% of homes on private wellsWebster County: about 80% of homes on private wellsWheeler County: about 62% of homes on private wellsWhite County: about 75% of homes on private wellsWhitfield County: about 16% of homes on private wellsWilcox County: about 58% of homes on private wellsWilkes County: about 52% of homes on private wellsWilkinson County: about 45% of homes on private wellsWorth County: about 61% of homes on private wells
Homes on private wellsUnder 5%5-15%15-30%30-50%50% or more

Every Georgia county

Sorted by people on private wells. Arsenic and nitrate are modeled for typical wells in the county, not measured at yours; depth is the median of domestic well records.

Coweta County50,40033%1.6%0.4n/a
Carroll County39,90033%2.2%0.8n/a
Forsyth County36,20015%1.1%1.2n/a
Hall County33,10016%1.3%0.6n/a
Lowndes County32,40026%1.5%0.0200 ft
Effingham County29,90047%1.7%0.0n/a
Jackson County29,40039%1.1%0.6n/a
Bulloch County29,30035%1.3%0.0n/a
Newton County27,90025%1.6%0.6n/a
Walton County27,70029%1.2%0.8n/a
Laurens County26,60053%1.3%0.2n/a
Paulding County25,00015%1.7%0.4n/a
Lumpkin County24,80083%1.0%0.4n/a
Gilmer County24,30081%1.1%0.1n/a
Madison County24,00080%1.0%1.3n/a
Coffee County23,70057%1.3%0.4n/a
Henry County22,5009%1.8%0.6n/a
Colquitt County22,30047%1.6%0.0n/a
Glynn County21,70022%2.2%0.0180 ft
Troup County21,00029%2.0%0.4n/a
White County20,60075%0.8%0.5n/a
Fayette County20,30016%1.4%0.7n/a
Bartow County19,80017%1.8%0.5n/a
Cherokee County19,7007%1.4%0.5n/a
Harris County19,30056%1.2%0.2n/a
Monroe County18,90068%1.5%0.2n/a
Habersham County18,80046%0.7%0.7n/a
Barrow County18,30021%1.3%0.9n/a
Hart County17,50068%1.1%1.4n/a
Floyd County17,40018%3.2%0.4n/a
Fannin County17,10073%1.1%0.1n/a
Murray County16,70043%1.5%0.6n/a
Gordon County16,40029%2.1%0.8n/a
Spalding County16,40023%1.8%0.6n/a
Burke County16,30066%1.4%0.5n/a
Wayne County16,30057%1.6%0.0n/a
Oconee County16,20038%1.1%0.9n/a
Whitfield County16,10016%2.3%0.6n/a
Columbia County15,80010%1.4%1.0n/a
Pike County15,70083%1.4%0.4n/a
Brantley County15,70087%2.0%0.0n/a
Union County15,30064%1.1%0.3n/a
Grady County15,00058%1.4%0.1n/a
Haralson County14,90050%1.7%0.2n/a
Thomas County14,90032%1.4%0.1n/a
Pickens County14,80043%1.2%0.3n/a
Franklin County14,40059%0.9%1.5n/a
Jones County13,90049%2.1%0.2n/a
Pierce County13,90070%1.8%0.0n/a
Bryan County13,60031%1.5%0.0n/a
Camden County13,60026%2.1%0.0n/a
Banks County13,50076%1.0%0.5n/a
Putnam County13,30061%1.8%0.3n/a
Morgan County13,20064%1.2%0.6n/a
Walker County13,00020%2.4%0.6n/a
Meriwether County12,90062%1.8%0.4n/a
Butts County12,80057%1.8%0.3n/a
Lee County12,80039%1.3%0.7n/a
Chatham County12,8004%1.4%0.0n/a
Worth County12,70061%1.3%0.1n/a
Decatur County12,40045%1.1%0.9n/a
Baldwin County12,30029%2.2%0.5n/a
Dawson County12,30046%1.1%0.3n/a
Tift County12,10029%1.2%0.0n/a
Appling County12,10066%1.3%0.0n/a
Oglethorpe County11,90081%1.3%0.5n/a
Tattnall County11,90058%1.1%0.0n/a
McDuffie County11,80054%1.3%1.0n/a
Elbert County11,80060%1.2%0.3n/a
Dodge County11,70058%1.2%0.0n/a
Upson County11,60041%1.3%0.4n/a
Gwinnett County11,5001%1.6%0.7n/a
Bibb County11,3006%1.8%0.8n/a
Douglas County11,2007%2.1%0.3n/a
Liberty County11,00017%1.5%0.0n/a
Long County10,80068%1.4%0.0n/a
Lamar County10,80058%1.4%0.3n/a
Washington County10,80051%1.5%0.8n/a
Emanuel County10,70049%1.1%0.0n/a
Sumter County10,60037%1.5%1.6n/a
Toombs County10,50038%1.1%0.0n/a
Rabun County10,50065%1.0%0.1n/a
Berrien County10,40057%1.4%0.0n/a
Crawford County10,40085%1.5%0.4n/a
Rockdale County10,30011%1.5%0.6n/a
Screven County10,20072%1.5%0.1n/a
Polk County9,80023%1.9%0.4n/a
Mitchell County9,70048%1.3%0.5n/a
Ware County9,60026%2.0%0.0n/a
Brooks County9,50058%1.6%0.1n/a
Jeff Davis County9,20061%1.2%0.0n/a
Heard County9,00079%1.9%0.3n/a
Dougherty County8,9009%1.1%1.2n/a
Stephens County8,80033%0.9%0.5n/a
Jasper County8,80058%1.6%0.3n/a
Cook County8,60048%1.4%0.0n/a
Peach County8,30028%1.5%1.1n/a
Chattooga County8,30035%3.3%0.3n/a
Crisp County7,90042%1.1%0.1n/a
Bacon County7,60068%1.7%0.0n/a
Houston County7,4004%1.9%0.6n/a
Richmond County7,3003%1.4%1.9n/a
Jefferson County7,10045%1.5%1.0n/a
Greene County7,10037%1.4%0.1n/a
Charlton County6,80067%1.7%0.0n/a
Catoosa County6,5009%3.4%0.4n/a
Bleckley County6,50055%1.1%0.1n/a
Twiggs County6,40079%2.0%0.3n/a
Towns County6,30049%0.9%0.2n/a
Candler County6,00055%1.2%0.0n/a
McIntosh County6,00055%1.9%0.0n/a
Irwin County5,80064%1.3%0.0n/a
Lincoln County5,80078%1.4%0.2n/a
Lanier County5,70060%1.5%0.0n/a
Marion County5,70077%1.1%0.5n/a
Seminole County5,70066%0.6%1.1n/a
Dade County5,70039%3.2%0.1n/a
Wheeler County5,60062%1.5%0.0n/a
Jenkins County5,50059%1.5%0.0n/a
Evans County5,30048%1.1%0.0n/a
Early County5,20052%1.1%0.6n/a
Johnson County5,10066%1.3%0.1n/a
Fulton County4,9000%1.5%0.5n/a
Atkinson County4,90058%1.4%0.1n/a
Macon County4,90044%1.3%0.8n/a
Wilkes County4,90052%1.3%0.3n/a
Ben Hill County4,80028%1.2%0.0n/a
Montgomery County4,70059%1.1%0.0n/a
Hancock County4,60064%1.7%0.3n/a
Pulaski County4,50053%1.3%0.1n/a
Telfair County4,40042%1.3%0.0n/a
Taylor County4,20055%1.4%1.0n/a
Miller County4,20071%0.8%0.6n/a
Dooly County4,20047%1.0%0.2n/a
Wilcox County4,10058%1.3%0.1n/a
Muscogee County4,0002%1.0%0.3n/a
Wilkinson County4,00045%2.0%0.5n/a
Treutlen County3,60058%1.2%0.0n/a
Terrell County3,50038%1.5%0.4n/a
Talbot County3,30060%1.2%0.3n/a
Turner County3,30037%1.3%0.0n/a
Echols County3,20089%1.5%0.0n/a
Clinch County3,00042%1.5%0.0n/a
Schley County2,80061%1.2%1.1n/a
Warren County2,80057%1.3%0.5n/a
Baker County2,20080%1.0%1.3n/a
Randolph County2,20038%1.6%0.9n/a
Glascock County2,00070%1.7%0.8n/a
Webster County1,90080%1.5%1.8n/a
Clay County1,60055%1.5%0.8n/a
Clayton County1,5000%1.3%0.9n/a
Stewart County1,40039%1.3%0.4n/a
Calhoun County1,30034%1.3%0.2n/a
Chattahoochee County1,20013%1.1%0.1n/a
Taliaferro County1,10072%1.6%0.1n/a
Quitman County90041%1.3%0.5n/a
DeKalb County8300%1.5%0.5n/a
Cobb County1000%1.4%0.6n/a
Clarke County00%1.2%0.9n/a

Shading: red is among the highest counties nationally, amber the middle, green the lower range. Click a column to sort.

Most well users above the arsenic limit

Test first, then treat what the test finds

We may earn a commission from links below, at no cost to you. Picks follow the testing order, not who pays. How we make money.

1. Certified lab well test

Start here, every year

A mail-in kit analyzed by a certified lab measures bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, metals and more. Test strips cannot measure arsenic or uranium reliably.

Mail-in certified lab well water test$$

2. Sediment pre-filter

Sand, silt or cloudy water

A 5-micron cartridge after the pressure tank catches sand, silt and rust before they reach fixtures or other filters. Cartridges are cheap and swap every few months.

5-micron whole-house sediment filter$

3. Iron and sulfur filter

Orange stains or rotten-egg smell

Air-injection or oxidizing-media filters remove orange staining and rotten-egg smell. Size one from a lab result for iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide.

Air-injection iron and sulfur filter$$$

4. UV disinfection system

Coliform bacteria in a test

Inactivates bacteria and viruses; usually for private wells or after boil notices.

12 GPM whole-house UV purifier$$$

5. Under-sink reverse osmosis

Arsenic, nitrate or uranium in a test

The most thorough option for drinking water: PFAS, lead, nitrate, arsenic and more. Look for NSF/ANSI 58.

Waterdrop G3P600 tankless RO$$$ iSpring RCC7AK reverse osmosis$$

6. Whole-house well filter

Several problems at once

Multi-stage sediment and carbon for every tap. Add UV if bacteria shows up, and choose stages from your lab results, not a guess.

Waterdrop WHF21 2-stage whole-house filter$$
Get free well water treatment quotes

Questions

Which Georgia counties rely most on wells?+

By share of homes: Echols County (89%), Brantley County (87%), Crawford County (85%), Lumpkin County (83%), Pike County (83%). By number of people: Coweta County (50,400), Carroll County (39,900), Forsyth County (36,200).

Is arsenic a problem in Georgia wells?+

USGS estimates about 35,000 Georgia well users have water above the 10 microgram per liter arsenic limit that applies to public systems, the largest numbers in Fulton County, Coffee County, Bulloch County. Arsenic has no taste or smell, so only a lab test finds it.

Do I have to test my well when I sell a house in Georgia?+

We could not confirm a statewide rule for Georgia. Check with your county health department. Buyers can still make a lab test a condition of the offer.

How often should I test my well?+

No federal law covers private wells. EPA's drinking water limits apply to public water systems, so testing and treating a private well is up to the owner. EPA and CDC recommend testing at least once a year for coliform bacteria, nitrate, pH and total dissolved solids, and testing for arsenic, uranium, radon and other local concerns based on where you live.

Well-user counts, arsenic and nitrate figures are each a modeled estimate built from national datasets, not a count of tested wells, and well depths summarize drilling records rather than every well. Your own well can be very different from the county average, which is why the only answer for your home is a lab test. Sources: EPA Office of Research and Development, Water Source 2020 (private well estimates by census block); CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking, Well Water Index (from USGS nitrate and arsenic models); USGS, county-level domestic well population with arsenic above 10 micrograms per liter (Ayotte and others, 2017); USGS Synthesized Domestic Well Database for the Conterminous United States (SynDWell-US), McCarthy and others, 2025 (depth, where a county has 30+ usable records).