Table 2. County-level distributions for priority metals, (A) arsenic, (B) manganese, and (C) lead.
Mean, max, number and percentage over LOR, number and percentage over EPA standard and population in county utilizing private wells are listed for the 25 counties with the highest population-at-risk rack. Population-at-risk rank was determined by multiplying the percentage of wells exceeding the EPA standard and the percentage of population within a county using private wells. PAR= population-at-risk. EOS= Exceedance of standard
| County | Number of tests (N) | Above LOR, N (%) | At or Exceed Standard, N (%) | Population using private wells, in thousands (% of county population) | Mean (ppb) | Maximum (ppb) | PAR rank | EOS rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | ||||||||
| State-wide | 110383 | 7199 (6.5) | 2502 (2.3) | - | 3.4 | 806 | - | - |
| Anson | 132 | 40 (30.3) | 25 (18.9) | 8.6 (34.6) | 10.9 | 154 | 1 | 2 |
| Stanly | 1278 | 482 (37.7) | 230 (18.0) | 19.3 (31.2) | 8.9 | 806 | 2 | 3 |
| Union | 5154 | 1703 (33.0) | 1003 (19.5) | 49.2 (20.9) | 8.7 | 303 | 3 | 1 |
| Alexander | 272 | 39 (14.3) | 16 (5.9) | 13.3 (35.6) | 5.0 | 175 | 4 | 5 |
| Randolph | 2619 | 379 (14.5) | 126 (4.8) | 60.1 (41.9) | 3.8 | 106 | 5 | 6 |
| Lincoln | 2333 | 174 (7.5) | 85 (3.6) | 43.5 (52.0) | 4.3 | 390 | 6 | 9 |
| Person | 1804 | 156 (8.7) | 45 (2.5) | 27.1 (68.6) | 3.4 | 54 | 7 | 20 |
| Transylvania | 580 | 25 (4.3) | 14 (2.4) | 17.0 (49.8) | 3.5 | 68 | 8 | 22 |
| Rockingham | 986 | 76 (7.7) | 25 (2.5) | 38.8 (42.8) | 3.3 | 47 | 9 | 19 |
| Chatham | 3129 | 422 (13.5) | 85 (2.7) | 28.9 (40.0) | 3.6 | 127 | 10 | 17 |
| McDowell | 1251 | 40 (3.2) | 16 (1.3) | 31.1 (68.3) | 3.5 | 93 | 11 | 31 |
| Watauga | 1077 | 68 (6.31) | 26 (2.4) | 18.8 (33.5) | 3.3 | 38 | 12 | 23 |
| Catawba | 1567 | 87 (5.6) | 44 (2.8) | 45.1 (28.5) | 4.6 | 388 | 13 | 15 |
| Moore | 1280 | 133 (10.6) | 41 (3.2) | 24.6 (24.9) | 3.8 | 167 | 14 | 11 |
| Yadkin | 328 | 7 (2.1) | 3 (0.9) | 25.7 (68.6) | 3.2 | 25 | 15 | 40 |
| Gaston | 2764 | 199 (7.2) | 77 (2.8) | 49.1 (22.0) | 3.4 | 232 | 16 | 16 |
| Nash | 2258 | 115 (5.1) | 35 (1.6) | 34.7 (36.9) | 3.1 | 32 | 17 | 28 |
| Cabarrus | 1382 | 126 (9.1) | 44 (3.2) | 37.9 (17.9) | 3.6 | 247 | 18 | 12 |
| Lee | 278 | 54 (19.4) | 10 (3.6) | 9.4 (15.3) | 3.5 | 29 | 19 | 10 |
| Mitchell | 564 | 13 (2.3) | 5 (0.9) | 9.1 (60.7) | 3.2 | 39 | 20 | 41 |
| Harnett | 368 | 25 (6.8) | 9 (2.5) | 29.1 (21.7) | 3.6 | 127 | 21 | 21 |
| Rowan | 2374 | 108 (4.6) | 24 (1.0) | 69.9 (49.5) | 2.7 | 52 | 22 | 38 |
| Caldwell | 358 | 15 (4.2) | 8 (2.2) | 16.4 (19.9) | 3.6 | 27 | 23 | 24 |
| Rutherford | 784 | 19 (2.4) | 8 (1.0) | 27.4 (41.1) | 3.3 | 46 | 24 | 37 |
| Avery | 640 | 19 (3.0) | 7 (1.1) | 6.3 (36.1) | 4.7 | 484 | 25 | 34 |
| Manganese | ||||||||
| State-wide | 110182 | 33653 (6.5) | 5405 (4.9) | - | 78.1 | 46300 | - | - |
| Person | 1803 | 797 (44.2) | 255 (14.1) | 27.1 (68.6) | 147.0 | 11000 | 1 | 4 |
| Caswell | 688 | 250 (36.3) | 45 (6.5) | 19.4 (85.4) | 146.0 | 44950 | 2 | 20 |
| Stanly | 1230 | 478 (38.9) | 211 (17.2) | 19.3 (31.2) | 177.0 | 12180 | 3 | 2 |
| Granville | 1222 | 548 (44.8) | 137 (11.2) | 28.4 (47.3) | 137.7 | 10000 | 4 | 7 |
| Chatham | 3128 | 1320 (42.2) | 321 (10.3) | 28.9 (39.5) | 120.6 | 3900 | 5 | 12 |
| Anson | 136 | 55 (40.4) | 15 (11.0) | 8.6 (34.6) | 128.7 | 4140 | 6 | 9 |
| Clay | 1575 | 547 (34.7) | 75 (4.8) | 8.8 (79.1) | 84.1 | 5850 | 7 | 30 |
| Perquimans | 52 | 45 (86.5) | 11 (21.2) | 2.3 (16.9) | 210.0 | 1470 | 8 | 1 |
| Wilson | 465 | 263 (56.6) | 70 (15.1) | 18.5 (22.7) | 155.6 | 2000 | 9 | 3 |
| Randolph | 2609 | 767 (29.4) | 210 (8.2) | 60.2 (41.9) | 117.6 | 11000 | 10 | 15 |
| Vance | 387 | 142 (36.7) | 22 (5.7) | 25.2 (56.6) | 81.6 | 1900 | 11 | 26 |
| Alamance | 2600 | 1072 (41.2) | 249 (9.6) | 49.9 (30.0) | 109.2 | 4320 | 12 | 14 |
| Union | 5137 | 1763 (34.3) | 679 (13.2) | 49.2 (20.9) | 147.3 | 6730 | 13 | 5 |
| Orange | 7250 | 2485 (34.3) | 763 (10.5) | 37.8 (25.9) | 111.0 | 10300 | 14 | 10 |
| Nash | 2260 | 787 (34.8) | 152 (6.7) | 34.7 (36.9) | 93.4 | 10670 | 15 | 19 |
| Cherokee | 3031 | 1034 (34.1) | 116 (3.8) | 17.6 (62.2) | 71.2 | 5800 | 16 | 35 |
| Rowan | 2379 | 488 (20.5) | 105 (4.4) | 69.9 (49.5) | 73.8 | 6000 | 17 | 32 |
| Harnett | 368 | 182 (49.5) | 36 (9.8) | 29.1 (21.7) | 106.8 | 4400 | 18 | 13 |
| Cabarrus | 1399 | 582 (41.6) | 147 (10.5) | 37.9 (17.9) | 127.2 | 6190 | 19 | 11 |
| Mitchell | 564 | 165 (29.3) | 17 (3.0) | 9.1 (60.7) | 134.5 | 11000 | 20 | 38 |
| Madison | 1190 | 313 (26.3) | 33 (2.8) | 14.3 (65.7) | 51.7 | 1800 | 21 | 43 |
| Graham | 454 | 145 (31.9) | 16 (3.5) | 4.2 (49.5) | 88.6 | 6140 | 22 | 37 |
| Camden | 92 | 59 (64.1) | 6 (6.5) | 2.8 (26.3) | 116.8 | 490 | 23 | 21 |
| Franklin | 1559 | 424 (27.2) | 41 (2.6) | 42.6 (63.0) | 55.9 | 2560 | 24 | 44 |
| Johnston | 2002 | 754 (37.7) | 145 (7.2) | 46.3 (22.8) | 89.3 | 3170 | 25 | 16 |
| Lead | ||||||||
| State-wide | 110409 | 8892 (8.1) | 3076 (2.8) | - | 7.3 | 105440 | - | - |
| Alleghany | 347 | 84 (24.2) | 24 (6.9) | 7.8 (69.6) | 8.7 | 707 | 1 | 5 |
| Madison | 1190 | 165 (13.9) | 76 (6.4) | 14.3 (65.7) | 7.7 | 701 | 2 | 8 |
| Macon | 2424 | 345 (14.2) | 133 (5.5) | 20.9 (59.3) | 8.9 | 2540 | 3 | 10 |
| Ashe | 717 | 72 (10.0) | 26 (3.6) | 22.3 (82.1) | 8.0 | 2300 | 4 | 23 |
| Surry | 1171 | 138 (11.8) | 49 (4.2) | 47.1 (65.5) | 5.6 | 263 | 5 | 18 |
| McDowell | 1250 | 113 (9.0) | 49 (3.9) | 31.1 (68.3) | 6.8 | 974 | 6 | 21 |
| Caswell | 688 | 75 (10.9%) | 20 (2.9) | 19.4 (85.4) | 4.7 | 80 | 7 | 33 |
| Hoke | 306 | 76 (24.8) | 39 (12.8) | 9.7 (17.7) | 9.1 | 191 | 8 | 2 |
| Yancey | 1029 | 105 (10.2) | 32 (3.1) | 12.4 (69.2) | 4.9 | 259 | 9 | 28 |
| Person | 1802 | 164 (9.1) | 56 (3.1) | 27.1 (68.6) | 5.3 | 304 | 10 | 27 |
| Vance | 387 | 40 (10.3) | 13 (3.4) | 25.2 (56.6) | 4.7 | 57 | 11 | 25 |
| Polk | 401 | 38 (9.5) | 16 (4.0) | 9.7 (47.3) | 5.6 | 162 | 12 | 19 |
| Scotland | 266 | 67 (25.2) | 16 (6.0) | 10.9 (31.2) | 9.5 | 761 | 13 | 9 |
| Franklin | 1560 | 185 (11.9) | 46 (3.0) | 42.6 (63.0) | 5.0 | 146 | 14 | 32 |
| Anson | 131 | 19 (14.5) | 7 (5.3) | 8.6 (34.6) | 6.9 | 260 | 15 | 11 |
| Avery | 640 | 75 (11.7) | 30 (4.7) | 6.3 (36.1) | 5.4 | 147 | 16 | 15 |
| Moore | 1289 | 223 (17.3) | 86 (6.7) | 24.6 (24.9) | 6.3 | 205 | 17 | 7 |
| Henderson | 1497 | 201 (13.4) | 71 (4.7) | 40.8 (35.0) | 6.1 | 355 | 18 | 14 |
| Cherokee | 3035 | 213 (7.0) | 76 (2.5) | 17.6 (62.2) | 4.5 | 222 | 19 | 47 |
| Mitchell | 564 | 55 (9.8) | 14 (2.5) | 9.1 (60.7) | 4.4 | 68 | 20 | 49 |
| Clay | 1575 | 109 (6.9) | 30 (1.9) | 8.8 (79.1) | 4.5 | 216 | 21 | 68 |
| Watauga | 1065 | 113 (10.6) | 41 (3.9) | 18.8 (33.5) | 8.2 | 2660 | 22 | 22 |
| Rowan | 2378 | 175 (7.4) | 62 (2.6) | 69.9 (49.5) | 5.1 | 587 | 23 | 42 |
| Transylvania | 580 | 38 (6.6) | 15 (2.6) | 17.0 (49.8) | 6.1 | 397 | 24 | 43 |
| Warren | 292 | 30 (10.3) | 9 (3.1) | 8.2 (41.3) | 5.2 | 161 | 25 | 29 |