According to information provided by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as eight million Americans are drinking well water that is contaminated enough to harm their health. This evidence should be enough to spur well owners all over the country to institute a well-monitoring schedule for their own water sources.
Across America, more than 43 million people rely on private wells for their household water. The quality of water in private water wells is not regulated by any federal agency. The Environmental Protection Agency does issue recommended standards for healthy water.
In some states, neither state nor local agencies have the authority to regulate this water quality. Therefore, water quality in most households is purely up to the owner of the well. The only way to detect water problems in a private well is to do your own water testing.
How Many Private Water Wells Have Less-Than-Ideal Water Quality?
A very widespread testing program revealed that one in five samples from private wells had at least one contaminant that could harm the health of those consuming it. To be precise, nearly 1,400 wells were tested. Twenty-three percent had harmful levels of at least one harmful contaminant.
Common naturally occurring contaminants included:
- Radon
- Arsenic
- Uranium
- Fluoride
These substances can be found in soil and rock and can make their way into the water that supplies wells in your area. The man-made contaminant found most often in this testing was nitrates, which usually originate from sources such as fertilizers, livestock waste and septic systems.
Health Conditions that Result from Common Contaminants
The EPA has published limits for each of the harmful substances listed here. Some of the most common naturally occurring contaminants were:
- Radon: Recommended limit: 4 picocuries per liter of water. Health effects possible from excessive exposure: Radon causes an estimated 20,000 deaths each year from lung cancer.
- Arsenic: Recommended limit: 10 parts per billion. Health effects possible from excessive exposure: Skin thickening that can precede cancer. Greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and adverse effects on pregnancy.
- Uranium: Recommended limit: 30 micrograms per liter of water. Health effects possible from excessive exposure: It is estimated that nearly 16,000 people, per year develop cancer from drinking water contaminated with uranium.
- Fluoride: Recommended limit: 4 milligrams per liter of water. Health effects possible from excessive exposure: Tooth discoloration and pitting. Increased risk of bone pain and fractures.
- Nitrates: Recommended limit: 10 milligrams per liter of water. Health effects possible from excessive exposure: For babies, nitrates can affect the ability of their blood to carry oxygen. The effect is methemoglobinemia or “blue baby syndrome.”
Common Microorganisms That Contaminate Private Water Wells
While some microorganisms found in water wells are not harmful, others may cause illness. The CDC noted the presence of these microorganisms in many wells that were part of this testing project:
- Cryptosporidium hominis: A parasite that causes watery diarrhea.
- Campylobacter: A type of bacteria that causes vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps.
- E. coli: A type of bacteria that causes severe stomach cramps, vomiting and diarrhea that can be bloody.
- Giardia: A parasite that causes stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and gas.
Monitoring Water Quality is Vital for Personal and Family Health
Over six recent years, drinking water has been involved in causing thousands of cases of illness. Between 2015 and 2020, there were 2,140 cases of illness, 563 hospitalizations and 88 deaths. Individual or private water systems were involved in 944 of these cases, 52 hospitalizations, and 14 deaths.
It is possible to filter, disinfect or otherwise treat well water to ensure that it won’t make your family sick. Before designing a filtration or treatment system, find out what is in your water. Then plan your disinfection or filtration system based on what is contained in your well at the moment.
The CDC, EPA, US Geological Service and American Society for Microbiology all warn that routine testing of private water wells is essential to preserve the health of families drinking from these wells. ETR Laboratories can help with fast, accurate annual water tests. Visit this page to choose your best test.