Wells
Suppose you're a private well owner in Anywhere, USA. Perhaps you've moved out to the country to get away from urban sprawl and found yourself the proud owner of a water well for the first time. Or maybe you've relied upon a water well most your life. Either way, you probably don't have an owner's manual that goes with your well. That seems okay until you need help. Thousands of residents across the U.S. get their drinking water from private wells. Unfortunately, most people have no idea about what they should be doing to keep their well functioning correctly.
The NESC has provided information about well maintenance and more below. If you have a technical question we can help. Call us toll free at (800) 624-8301 or e-mail info@mail.nesc.wvu.edu and ask for technical assistance.
Our Free Products
- Links open pdf files and are in order by year beginning with the most current.
- What's a Private Well Owner to do? Eight Tips for Maintaining Your Well -by Cliff Treyens, On Tap magazine, Summer 2007 - The author, a public affairs director with the National Ground Water Association, itemizes eight tips for maintaining a well.
- How Well is Your Well -by Larry Rader, Environmental Consultant, On Tap magazine, Fall 2003 - When it comes to well water, most folks think their water comes from the ground pure and pristine. But those of us who have operated groundwater treatment plants can tell a different story.
- "Tech Brief" Fact Sheet: Preventing Well Contamination -by Vipin Bhardwaj, NDWC Engineering Scientist, On Tap magazine, Fall 2003 - Wells extract groundwater for use in homes and businesses. Preventing groundwater contamination is of utmost importance, especially since a number of factors can contribute to groundwater contamination.
- Wellhead Protection -by Nancy Zeilig, On Tap magazine, Fall 2003 - Small systems benefit in a big way when they realize the value of wellhead protection.
- "How To Keep Your Water Well" -Pipeline newsletter, Fall 2002 - This newsletter presents the possible effects and special considerations that are mandatory to prevent the contamination of drinking water wells in areas where onsite treatment is employed. Included are tips from the EPA on protecting groundwater supplies and signs that suggest you should test your well.
- Private Wells Issue -On Tap newsletter, Fall 2000 - Private wells are not some new discovery. People have been digging wells for centuries-long before there was machinery to do the drilling-when it was just a pick, a shovel, and a bucket on a rope to haul out the dirt.
- Groundwater Protection Poster -On Tap newsletter, Spring 1995 - Download it free or order a hard-copy. Request item #DWPSPE40 when you call us at (800) 624-8301.
EPA Free Downloads
- The free products, tools, and online resources below are provided by our funding sponsor, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These links will open new web pages.
- Drinking Water from Household Wells (Web)-Get information online and in pdf form about drinking water from home wells, private drinking water sources, and types of activities in your area that can create threats to your water supply. It also describes problems to look for and offers maintenance suggestions.
- Private Drinking Water Wells (Web)-If your family gets drinking water from a private well, do you know if your water is safe to drink? What health risks could you and your family face? Where can you go for help or advice? The information contained in this site will help you answer these questions.
- Private Well Owners in New England (US) (Web)-About 2.3 million people who llive in New England obtain water from their own private well. EPA New England has a campaign to get the word out to homeowners about the importance of taking precautions to protect, maintain and test their private well.
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What to Do After the Flood: Well and Pump Inspection (Web), EPA - Drilled, driven, or bored wells are best disinfected by a well or pump contractor because it is difficult for the private owner to thoroughly disinfect these wells. - Drinking Water and MTBE: A Guide for Private Well Owners (pdf), Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System - This brochure provides private well owners with basic information about the gasoline additive chemical methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE).
- Drinking Water and Health: What you need to know (Web), EPA - Now you have a new way to find information about your drinking water, if it comes from a public water supplier. EPA doesn't regulate private wells, but does have recommendations for their owners.
- Private Well Contamination Resources (Web site and fact sheets), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Contamination of a private well is not only the concern of the household served by the well, but also the households using other nearby water supplies and the aquifer that the water is drawn from. It is important to know when to test and how to maintain your well properly to ensure your family's health.
- Private Well Owner Online Water Quality and Drinking Water Problems (Web site and fact sheets), Wilkes University Center for Environmental Quality Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences - This site contains background information related to common drinking water sources of contamination, acute and chronic health problems, health advisories, and aesthetic problems associated with drinking water. This page was put together in order to inform the public on a variety of topics and help them along with their testing needs.