About 2.3 million people (about 20% of the total population)
in New England obtain water from their own private
well. Recent studies in New England identified
contamination of some private wells from methyl-tertiary-butyl
ether (MtBE (PDF) (6
pp., 385 KB, about
PDF) ),
radon and arsenic. But, many homeowners are not aware
of this risk to their drinking water.
If you have a private well, regular water quality
testing is very important. Many contaminants cannot
be identified by taste or odor, making it difficult
for homeowners to know if the water quality of their
well has changed. EPA does not regulate private wells
and many states and towns do not require periodic sampling
of private wells after they are initially installed.
This makes it the responsibility of homeowners to periodically
test their well for contamination. Read the state specific
pdf version of EPA New England's Private Well brochure: Connecticut (PDF) (2
pp., 202 KB, about
PDF),
Maine (PDF) (4 pp., 338 KB, about
PDF), Massachusetts (PDF) (2
pp., 30 KB, about
PDF), New
Hampshire (PDF) (2 pp., 100 KB, about
PDF), Rhode Island (PDF) (2
pp., 148 KB, about
PDF).
EPA New England has a new campaign to get the word
out to homeowners about the importance of taking precautions
to protect, maintain and test their private well. The
campaign will reach the general public, the real estate
community, schools, local officials, and trade associations,
such as well drillers.
To reach private well users EPA is partnering with
New England State Drinking Water Programs and State
University Cooperative Extension Services to get the
word out about well testing, protection and maintenance. EPA
will be supporting Cooperative Extension water quality
experts to update homeowner fact sheets about drinking,
water testing, contaminants, and treatment methods.
Children's activities and other outreach materials
will also be developed and shared with schools and
other organizations.
To assist real estate agents and property buyers
- EPA New England has developed a brochure on private
wells to advise you on well water quality and the operation
of private well water systems. This brochure (listed
below) includes contacts to seek for advice on testing
and treatment recommendations as well as information
about qualified professionals.
Website links to homeowner information developed
by your state agencies, cooperative extension program
are found below. Contact Jane
Downing (downing.jane@epa.gov)
(617) 918-1571 for further information about these
efforts.
Learn about EPA's national recommendations on how to
test
the quality of a private drinking water supply and prevent
contamination from affecting it.
|