Government groundwater sampling in Waukesha County’s aquifer 110QRNR shows a range of iron levels from 4.5 to 3420.0 micrograms per liter (ug/L) in tested wells, with a median result of 15.4 ug/L. This data comes from 17 samples collected between 2010 and 2021 from wells 17 to 49 feet deep. While iron was detected in most samples, none exceeded federal health-based thresholds. These figures describe the area’s groundwater characteristics but do not define conditions at any individual household well.
How does sample depth and well construction affect what I might expect in my water?
Sampling depths ranged between 17 and 49 feet, a typical interval for residential wells in Waukesha County. The depth and construction of your well can influence iron concentrations and other elements because different strata contain varying mineral deposits. Shallower wells often encounter different water chemistry compared to deeper ones, so your well’s specific depth and completion details are key to assessing your water’s characteristics.
How can I interpret the median and range figures from this regional sampling as a homeowner?
The median iron concentration, 15.4 ug/L, represents the middle value of the samples—half of the tested wells had iron levels below this and half above. The range shows the lowest and highest detected concentrations, from 4.5 ug/L up to 3420.0 ug/L. While some wells showed relatively low iron, others were much higher, reflecting natural variation in groundwater. Your household water could fall anywhere in this range, so only direct testing of your well water reveals your specific levels.
What household water issues might suggest the need for complete well water treatment?
Symptoms such as reddish staining on fixtures, metallic taste, or water discoloration can indicate elevated iron or other minerals typical in well water from this region. However, these signs alone don’t confirm water chemistry levels—they simply signal a potential need to evaluate water treatment options. Absence of such symptoms does not guarantee your water lacks these constituents, so testing is important when considering treatment.
How is this complete well problem different from common issues like hard water or bacterial contamination?
Complete well water concerns often involve a combination of naturally occurring minerals and metals, whereas hard water specifically refers to dissolved calcium and magnesium causing scale buildup. Bacterial contamination relates to microbiological hazards and requires disinfection methods. The sampled data here focuses on dissolved iron, not pathogens or hardness, so treatment approaches for complete well water typically address a broader spectrum of mineral presence beyond hardness or microbiological safety.
What do the terms ‘detected’, ‘median’, and ‘range’ mean in the context of this government sampling record?
‘Detected’ signifies that iron was measurable in the sample using standard analytical methods, not that it was present above any safety threshold. ‘Median’ is the middle value of sampled results, not an average, providing a central tendency indication. ‘Range’ reflects the full spectrum from the lowest to highest measured iron concentrations seen in the sampled wells. Understanding these terms helps clarify what the data shows about the area but not about a specific well.
This summary presents data from government sampling of wells in Waukesha County’s aquifer 110QRNR only and does not substitute for testing well water on your property. For detailed treatment needs, consider the Autotrol Complete Well System, which ships ready to configure and offers a 32,000-grain capacity designed to address full-spectrum well water challenges. For more detailed water quality data, refer to the U.S. Geological Survey groundwater database for Waukesha County.
Where this information comes from
Source: USGS groundwater sampling. Sampled 2021-05-20. These figures describe groundwater sampled in this area. They are not a test of any individual private well - only a test of that well can establish its own water.
On record: U.S. Geological Survey sampling of Iron in the 110QRNR aquifer (Waukesha County): 17 results from 8 wells, median 15.4 ug/L, range 4.5-3420.0 ug/L; none above any federal threshold