14 MARCH 2021 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Private Well Water Testing and the Drilling Professional Adapted from Information by Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine and the EPA An estimated 13 million U.S. households rely on private wells for drinking water without regulation by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). As drilling professionals, do you know what happens after a successfully-drilled well and submission of the well log to the appropriate state agency? In most cases, the private well owner, with little knowledge of these matters, is solely responsible for the long-term safety of their drinking water. This puts many people at risk for drinking unsafe water since time and environmental factors may eventually adversely affect some wells. What can be done, then, to encourage private well owners to test their wells periodically to ensure safe drinking water? Consider one study, conducted in northern New England, focusing on an area where 40 - 50% of the population depends on private wells. A public health concern is the level of arsenic known to contaminate 10 - 20% of bedrock wells in New Hampshire. The study noted vulnerable populations, such as children and elderly, are at high risk for ingesting harmful contaminants, which can cause many health conditions, including bladder and other cancers. The public health system’s limited success encouraging private well owners to test their wells periodically yielded the startling statistics of nearly 60% not testing for at least three years and 15% never testing. Poor compliance has been attributed in part to a lack of physician awareness about health risks of well water, confusion about which chemicals to test for, poor lab access, and the cost of testing. In Hanover, New Hampshire, Dartmouth Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center’s team conducted a two-armed study with 11 pediatric and family medicine clinics. Parents with children under one year using private wells received free well water testing kits. Both study arms yielded a 29% testing completion rate. However, the arm with both the owner and clinic informed along with followup reminders was more than twice as likely to result in test completion. The main takeaway was the positive correlation between physicians communicating with well owners and testing compliance. What does this say to the drilling professionals trusted to assure the initial safety of the water wells they drill? Communication is key. Left to their own devices, many private well owners are simply happy to turn on the tap and have running water. But, they need to know more. Perhaps a cautionary discussion with the owner, as well as printed information on protecting a newly-drilled well could make a difference. Advise owners to contact local health departments to get free testing kits. Finally, a simple testing schedule with a chart identifying reasons to test water immediately might encourage new and existing well owners to safeguard their family’s long-term health. Photo courtesy of EPA. WTR
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