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Much has been done to protect aquifers from contamination. There are laws in place that require anyone using a potential contaminant to properly dispose of it, and to ensure that their use doesn’t lead to groundwater contamination. The establishment of the EPA and state regulatory agencies in the 1970s is the direct result of pollution issues related to proper use and disposal of harmful chemicals in our land, water, and air.
Many of these rules are in place to protect public water supply wells: those serving communities and the aquifers they use for supply. Because private wells aren’t regulated the same way or sampled regularly for many man-made chemicals, private well contamination may remain unknown to the owner until someone gets sick. This is why protecting your well is so important. Proper care, ensuring quality construction, and limiting the potential for local contamination are the best ways to provide protection of your source water.
The keys to protecting your well water quality include:
Knowing how your well water might be influenced by surface sources as well as groundwater flow from offsite,
Understanding the natural water quality of the aquifer you are using, and
Ensuring your well is properly constructed so drinking water is protected at the well.
What things can contaminate my well?
How far should my well be away from ............?
Most states have requirements for the distance of a potential source of contamination from a well. These are known as setback rules and you should become familiar with yours. Knowing the current standard will give you a better idea of the risk you might have for contamination. You should isolate your well as much as you can from any contamination sources and ensure the sources you do have are down gradient of your well.
Figure 1 (below) provides some guidance on the different possible sources that could influence your well water quality locally. These distances are a minimum. Set your well as far away as possible from any potential contamination source.
Figure 1: Adapted from Selected "Isolation" Distances, Well Owner's Handbook: A Consumer's Guide to Water Wells in Minnesota (2014)
Are there contaminants that may occur naturally in my water?
If you haven’t had a sample of your well water analyzed to understand the natural water quality in the aquifer you are using for water supply, call the agency in your state or territory that maps aquifers as a starting point. They may have data on areas where natural contaminants may be a concern or be able to direct you to another agency that does.
Is my old well safe to use?
There are many, many old wells still in use today that don’t meet current well construction standards. The standards that have been developed are meant to protect the well owner from harm by protecting groundwater from contamination. If you have a well that doesn’t meet current well code, it’s worth your while to modify the well, if possible, to provide adequate protection from the surface. Your well driller is probably the best source for advice on these issues, as well as the agency that regulates well construction.
In addition to this important understanding of your water’s vulnerability, you can use these best practices:
Use a licensed driller, pump installer, or contractor when constructing, servicing, or repairing a well.
Periodically check the well cap to ensure it is sealed and structurally sound with no cracks, breaks, or missing bolts, and that the vent tube has a screen. Ensure the annular seal is solid and not sunken around the well.
Keep the area around your well free from debris. Your well should always be accessible.
Use back-flow preventers on all hoses and spigots. Never put a hose into a tank for mixing and install vacuum breakers on all threaded spigots and faucets that might have a hose hooked to them.
If you have treatment devices, set up a schedule for maintenance and for replacing/cleaning filters, as well as for adding chemicals, so they operate properly.
Properly maintain your septic system. If not pumped on a regular schedule, solids getting in the drain field can plug the laterals and soon your septic system will stop functioning.
Want to learn more about your private well and how to care for it?
Sign up for the free 10-week email course from PrivateWellClass.org. The class is a project of RCAP and the University of Illinois, with funding from USEPA.
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