Well water in Schuylkill County, PA
What Penn State well tests show for Schuylkill County, compared with Pennsylvania as a whole.
About 52% of the Schuylkill County well samples Penn State tested were positive for coliform bacteria (statewide: 44%). Compared with the rest of Pennsylvania, it stands out for E. coli (16% vs. 11% statewide) and pH outside the normal range (25% vs. 17% statewide).
What local well tests found
| Test (share of samples over the guideline) | Schuylkill County | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Total coliform bacteria | 52.1% | 44.1% |
| E. coli bacteria | 16.2% | 10.6% |
| Corrosivity (likely to eat pipes) | 78.0% | 65.9% |
| pH outside 6.5 to 8.5 | 24.6% | 16.6% |
| Manganese (stains) | 29.6% | 22.3% |
| Iron (stains) | 17.6% | 17.2% |
| Lead, first-draw sample | 8.1% | 8.9% |
| Arsenic | 8.3% | 5.5% |
| Nitrate | 2.1% | 4.1% |
| Typical hardness (median) | 3.8 gpg | 5.0 gpg |
Source: Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab, Schuylkill County summary (149 samples) and statewide summary (24,726 samples), tested 2007 to 2025. These are wells whose owners chose to test, often because of a problem, so rates may run higher than for all wells. Some tests had fewer samples than others.
Problems to watch for here
What to do next
- Test, if you haven't in a year. See testing options and prices.
- Read your results. Use our results tool, or upload a photo of your report.
- Get a fair quote if something needs fixing.
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