Well Water Safety

The Full Story

Clean and safe drinking water is a privilege. For the vast majority of Americans, who obtain their water through a public water supply system, safe drinking water is ensured through the Safe Drinking Water Act. This means that it meets vigorous standards and complies with testing set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a wide range of possible contaminants. However, about 15% of Americans obtain their water from their private wells. If you are one of them, this means no water bill every month. But this perk comes with monumental responsibilities. It means you have to play the role of the EPA to make sure that the water you and your family drink, cook, and clean with is safe.

Existing data on the quality, safety, and maintenance of private wells reveal alarming statistics. For instance:

• The National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the US Geological Survey collected and tested water samples from 2,100 private wells from 48 states between 1991 and 2004 and found that one in five wells contained elevated concentrations of contaminants such as metals and nitrates.
• A review of calls to the Water Systems Council’s wellcare® Hotline during 2013 found that only 38% of private well owners had tested their well water or inspected their well during the preceding 12 months.

If you are a private well owner, here are three key focus areas to help safeguard against contamination and prevent illness:

Be aware of potential well water contaminants and their health effects.

Your well can be threatened by numerous contaminants. Some are found naturally in our environment, such as arsenic and radon, while others are due to human activities. The EPA provides a concise list of Potential Well Water Contaminants and Their Impacts. Another excellent source is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Overview of Water-related Diseases and Contaminants in Private Wells. Contaminants can be unique to your geographic location (i.e., geology of the land) as well as your proximity to specific human activities such as farms where fertilizers or certain pesticides are used, constructions sites, and oil drilling or waste disposal stations. Health effects of these contaminants range from having little consequence to causing gastrointestinal illness and cancer.

Well water safety starts before the well is even constructed—it's location, location, location.

The location of a well is key to its safety. Making sure it’s a safe distance from possible contaminants like septic tanks or where chemicals are stored, making sure rain water flows away from it, and the nature of the land itself (e.g., whether it’s naturally rich in arsenic) are just a few examples of the importance of the location of a well.

Always use reputable, bonded, insured, and certified drillers and well pump installers. The National Ground Water Association provides a database so you can find ones near you.

Conduct regular maintenance activities and water quality testing.

Wells are not just "set-it-and-forget-it." They require regular maintenance. A maintenance check and water quality testing should be done at least annually and anytime an issue arises like a change in the taste, odor, color, quality, or pressure of the water, following a natural disaster, and during the sale or purchase of a home with a private well. Between the annual checks, regular visual inspections of the wellhead and surrounding area should be done so that potential safety concerns do not go unattended. To get started, review the following resources:

• Water Systems Council’s Well Water Testing and Contractors
• CDC’s Well Testing
• National Ground Water Association’s “How Do I Arrange for a Checkup?” and “How to Get a Test.”

Serkalem Mekonnen, RN, BSN, MPH
Certified Specialist in Poison Information