Region 1: EPA New England
Users of Private Wells in Massachusetts Should Consider Testing Their Drinking Water
Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.
By Robert W. Varney
February
2003
More than 400,000 Massachusetts residents get their drinking water from private wells. Many of these wells are not tested on a regular basis and some could be contaminated with bacteria, nitrates, radon, arsenic or other pollutants.
This year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is collaborating with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards to help private well owners make sure the water they drink is safe.
Contaminants are known to exist in some of the state’s groundwater. In areas of central Massachusetts, for example, arsenic has been detected at levels that exceed EPA’s drinking water standard of 10 parts per billion. Meanwhile, southeastern Massachusetts has had occasional problems with elevated nitrate levels in groundwater.
These contaminants do pose potential health risks. While arsenic and radon have been linked to cancer, high nitrate levels can have adverse health impacts on young infants. If tests show that levels for these contaminants exceed guidelines, homeowners should consider treating their well water.
EPA and our state partners are working to educate the public about the potential threats in their drinking water. A brochure, “A Guide to Water Quality Testing for Private Wells,” is available through EPA’s and the state’s web sites. This brochure gives homeowners recommendations on what testing should be done, when it should be done, and where to find additional information.
Since private wells in Massachusetts are regulated by towns and cities, an owner of a private well should first contact their local board of health for specific testing requirements. Although there are no state or federal requirements for private well testing, some communities have mandatory testing programs and many local health boards offer help.
The agencies also recommend that prospective homebuyers test well
water when buying their homes. Because many of these contaminants
have no taste, odor or color, their presence can only be determined
through laboratory testing. A list of certified laboratories is
available from DEP’s Wall Experiment Station (978-682-5237)
or on the web at http://www.mass.gov/dep/bspt/wes/wespubs.htm#certification
Even if the initial test shows no contamination, EPA and DEP recommend periodic follow-up testing. Residents should test often if a well appears to change, or if conditions around the well change. In the case of bacteria and nitrates, DEP recommends annual testing since these contaminants can come from common human activities like lawn fertilizing or the use of septic systems.
Well water should also be periodically tested for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which include substances found in gasoline. VOCs contained in gasoline can leak into wells through soil and groundwater. Human activities - like spilling gasoline - as well as industrial activities can cause contaminants to migrate into soil and then through porous sand, gravel or bedrock and into drinking water wells.
EPA is also working on a Safe Well Water Campaign with the New England Regional Cooperative Extension Water Quality Program. Under a cooperative agreement with EPA and the states, fact sheets about private wells are being developed. These fact sheets will be available on the U-MASS Extension website which will explain how drinking water gets contaminated and how it can be treated. This spring, materials for school children will be made available to teachers and other youth directors to demonstrate that “there’s more to drinking water than just turning on the tap.”
As a follow-up, EPA and the state will distribute “A Guide for Water Quality Testing for Private Wells” to well drillers, home inspectors, and others who work with private well owners or use well water themselves.
Pesticides and household chemicals that come from activities at home can also leak into groundwater. While testing is critical to check for contamination, homeowners, businesses and local governments can follow guidelines to prevent well water from becoming contaminated in the first place.
For example, homeowners should take extra care when they use or dispose of pesticides, cleaning fluids, fertilizers, paints, motor oils and gasoline. Homeowners using on-site septic systems should also avoid dumping chemicals into toilets or down the drain, and pump-out their systems on a regular basis to keep them running properly. Businesses can reduce the risk of spills or other releases of contaminants by following guidelines for waste use and disposal. And local governments can help get out the word about the importance of testing well water and preventing water contamination.
For more information on the private well initiative and drinking
water protection, visit www.epa.gov/region1/eco/drinkwater/private_well_owners.html
or www.mass.gov/dep/water/drinking/privatew.htm.
For more information about what businesses can do to protect drinking water, go to www.epa.gov/region1/eco/drinkwater/h2o_supplierbiz.html.
Robert W. Varney is regional administrator of EPA’s New England Office