Water Quality

BACKGROUND FACTS:

The United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world.

The Safe Drinking Water Act gives the Environmental Protection Agency the responsibility of setting national drinking water standards for public water systems. EPA has set standards for more than 80 contaminants that may occur in drinking water and pose a risk to human health. Private wells are not subject to federal regulations. EPA recommends testing well water annually.

Customers of public water supply systems can access information about their drinking water. Every community water supplier is required to provide an annual report to its customers. The report provides information on local drinking water quality including the water's source, the contaminants found in the water, and how consumers can get involved in protecting drinking water.

Approximately 15% of Americans obtain their drinking water from private sources such as wells, cisterns, and springs.

An aquifer is an underground formation or group of formations in rocks and soils containing enough ground water to supply wells and springs.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water and Health - What You Need to Know!

Some naturally occurring sources of pollution to well water include:

Microorganisms - bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other microorganisms can cause a variety of illnesses in humans including nausea and diarrhea. Runoff or water flowing over the land surface may pick up these pollutants from wildlife and soil. One common practice for treating a water quality issue is "shocking" private wells with chlorine in an effort to kill microorganisms present or suspected in new wells, recently repaired wells, or contaminated wells. Shocking should always be disclosed to a buyer of the property.

Radionuclides - radioactive elements such as uranium and radium may be present in underlying rock and ground water.

Nitrates and Nitrites - high nitrate levels are usually due to human activities, but they may be found naturally in ground water from the breakdown of nitrogen in soil.

Heavy metals - underground rocks and soils may contain arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and selenium. These heavy metals are not usually found at high levels from natural sources.

Fluoride - excessive consumption of high levels of fluoride can damage bone tissue.

Human activities which contribute to the pollution of drinking water include:

Local businesses - factories, industrial plants, gas stations, and dry cleaners are vulnerable to spills and improper disposal of chemicals.

Leaking underground tanks and piping - petroleum products, wastes, and chemicals stored underground are vulnerable to leaks.

Landfills and waste dumps - floods can carry leaking liquids over barriers and older dumpsites may have a variety of pollutants that can seep into groundwater.

Questions about wells or well water can be directed to the Wellcare Hotline operated by the Water Systems Council, a national organization focused on well systems not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The hotline can be reached by phone at (888) 395-1033 or www.wellcarehotline.org or www.watersystemscouncil.org. More information relating to ground water and private water well systems is also available at www.wellowner.org.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Drinking Water from Household Wells

TESTING:

To protect the quality of well water, test regularly. Remember to: a) talk to local experts about potential contaminants, b) have well water tested annually by a professional for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, pH, and other contaminants, c) have water quality test results interpreted and explained clearly, and d) keep accurate and up-to-date records.

Contact the local health department to have well water sampled and tested for contamination or call your state laboratory certification officer to find a certified lab near you. State laboratory certification officers' names and phone numbers are available on the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

Familiarize yourself with water quality test results. Example water quality test results can be found in the reading materials for this section or online at:

https://www.ecobroker.com/userdef/PDFs/example_well_water_results_letter.pdf