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# Potential Contaminants In Your Iowa Well Water
- URL: https://www.investigatemidwest.org/potential-contaminants-in-your-iowa-well-water/
- Published: 2016-12-20T09:55:26.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T02:39:33.000Z
- Description: A consumer information booklet produced by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources lists potential contaminants that include nitrate, bacteria, sulfur, fluoride, arsenic, lead and radionuclides, which are carcinogenic radioactive elements that occur as uranium and thorium isotopes decay.
- Author: Lauren Shotwell
- Tags: Health, Environment, iowawatch, Adair County, Adams County, Audubon County, Cass County, Crisis in our Wells, Guthrie County, Iowa water, Iowa well water, Shelby County, water pollution, water quality, water safety, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-06-18 04:56

###### Part of a series

A [consumer information booklet](http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/forms/5428168.pdf?ref=investigatemidwest.org) produced by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources lists potential contaminants that include nitrate, bacteria, sulfur, fluoride, arsenic, lead and radionuclides, which are carcinogenic radioactive elements that occur as uranium and thorium isotopes decay.

The risk for these contaminants can vary depending on what aquifer the well draws from and where in the state the well is located.

###### THIS IOWAWATCH INVESTIGATION WAS SUPPORTED BY A GRANT FROM THE[ FUND FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM](http://fij.org/?ref=investigatemidwest.org)

![FIJ2](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cd/d3/cdd3c059-8898-40b1-bcf7-cb2d3aa89775/content/images/2026/09/FIJ2.jpg)

Russ Tell, an Iowa Department of Natural Resources senior environmental specialist, said he suggests people look at the landscape and the history of land use in the area surrounding their well. For example, are any landfills, truck stops or other potential contaminators nearby? They can perform additional testing based on any concerns that come up, he said.

“We encourage owners to talk with the people, like at the State Hygienic Lab, and say, ‘You know, I live in an agricultural area and these are my concerns. What should I test for?’ And the lab professionals are really good at adapting water tests for that specific individual,” Tell said.

In some cases, additional testing, beyond the basic nitrates, bacteria and arsenic tests, can be covered by the state’s Grants to Counties program through cooperation between the counties and the State Hygienic Lab, which gets a portion of the program funding.

“In the past, it seems like there’s always been a door open when we’ve needed to run extra tests to figure out a problem” Tell said.

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![crisisinourwells_serieslogo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cd/d3/cdd3c059-8898-40b1-bcf7-cb2d3aa89775/content/images/2026/09/CrisisInOurWells_SeriesLogo.jpg)

OTHER STORIES IN THIS SERIES:

###### [Crisis in Our Wells: Iowa’s Private Well Water Often Goes Untested, Presenting Unknown Heath Risks](http://iawat.ch/TI4r5?ref=investigatemidwest.org)

###### [Arsenic In Drinking Water Tied To Diseases](http://iawat.ch/fn6s9?ref=investigatemidwest.org)

###### [Water Quality Regulations In Iowa](http://iawat.ch/OI5YT?ref=investigatemidwest.org)

###### [Many Iowans Ignore High Nitrate, Bacteria Threats In Their Well](https://investigatemidwest.org/many-iowans-ignore-high-nitrate-bacteria-threats-in-their-wells/?ref=investigatemidwest.org)

[Building A Database For Iowa’s Wells](https://investigatemidwest.org/building-a-database-for-iowas-wells/?ref=investigatemidwest.org)

[Past Studies Show Contamination Levels in Iowa’s Rural Wells](https://investigatemidwest.org/past-studies-show-contamination-levels-in-iowas-rural-wells/?ref=investigatemidwest.org)

###### [Lead Present in Some Iowa Wells But At Low Levels](https://investigatemidwest.org/lead-present-a-low-levels-in-some-iowa-wells-but-experts-say-paint-is-larger-concern/?ref=investigatemidwest.org)  
  
[Why You Should Plug An Old Well](https://investigatemidwest.org/why-you-should-plug-an-old-well/?ref=investigatemidwest.org)