Private Well Water Safety and Testing

• Testing Your Well Water
• Videos on Well Water Testing
• Common Well Water Contaminants and Problems
• Fixing Well Water Problems
• Other Useful Links

 

Testing Your Well Water

• Test your well water once a year for bacteria and nitrates and every 5 years for arsenic, fluoride, uranium, radon, lead, and manganese.
• If you have never tested your well water, we recommend doing a comprehensive or standard water test. Other times to test your well include:
  • If you are expecting a baby
  • Your water changes in smell, taste, and color
  • Your well runs dry and comes back
  • When buying a new home
  • After installing a water treatment system or replacing parts of your treatment system
  • After any work is done on your well
• Get our brochure to learn more about well water testing
• Find a lab to test your well water
• Find a lab certified to test water for Radon

Videos on Well Water Testing

Watch these videos to learn how to test your well water and how to understand your well water test results.

 

Common Well Water Contaminants and Problems

• Arsenic
• Fluoride
• Lead
• Manganese
• Radon
• Uranium
• Corrosive Water (Penn State Cooperative Extension)
• How to disinfect or shock your well to remove bacteria (Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory)
• How to disinfect or shock your well to remove bacteria (Maine Drinking Water Program)
• If you think your well has been contaminated by a sand/salt pile
• If your well has been flooded

Fixing Well Water Problems

• Help paying for arsenic treatment
• Choosing a Radon Treatment Company
• To make sure a treatment system is certified to remove a contaminant

Other Useful Links

• The Maine Tracking Network has data about arsenic and other chemicals commonly found in private wells for Maine towns and counties, and the state.
• A study of arsenic in Maine well water answers important questions about bathing and treatment options. Read the study or get a one-page summary.
• Resources for communities about well water safety and testing, including the EPA's Drinking Water Guidelines
• Technical reports about well water quality, including Maine's Maximum Exposure Guidelines (MEGs)