Quick Answer: About 43 million Americans get their drinking water from private wells. But here’s the kicker: none of these wells get the benefit of municipal treatment or monitoring. A North Carolina study found that 22% of private wells had at least one contaminant above healthy levels, usually coliform bacteria, nitrates, or natural arsenic. To keep your private well water safe, you need to test it yearly, pick the right treatment system (like reverse osmosis for lots of different contaminants), and keep it maintained regularly.

Author Full Names: Gibson, Jacqueline MacDonald; Pieper, Kelsey J.
Source: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES, 125 (7):10.1289/EHP890JUL 2017
Language:English

Abstract: BACKGROUND: It’s clear that the 44.5 million U.S. residents who use private wells for their drinking water face a higher risk of exposure to waterborne contaminants. This is compared to people served by regulated community water supplies. North Carolina, which has the second-largest private well population in the U.S., is a great place to study the challenges of keeping private well water clean.

OBJECTIVES: This paper shares recommendations from a two-day meeting. The goal was to find ways to improve drinking water quality for North Carolina residents using private wells. METHODS: The Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative invited 111 experts on private well water issues to the Summit. They broke into small groups to focus on specific problems, then met back in larger sessions to agree on recommendations.

DISCUSSION: Summit participants pointed out four main roadblocks to safe water for private well users: (1) there’s no database of private well locations; (2) racial disparities mean some urban areas still rely on private wells; (3) many private well users don’t have the info or money to check and care for their wells; and (4) programs that help private well owners are scattered and don’t have enough money. The Summit came up with 10 agreed-upon recommendations to fix these problems.

CONCLUSIONS: If these Summit recommendations are put into action, they could make North Carolinians healthier. These folks currently face higher risks from waterborne contaminants because their private wells aren’t properly checked or maintained. Since many of North Carolina’s challenges are common across the country, these recommendations could even help other states.

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Source: Water Feed