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Sonja Brownlee, MD.
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Last Updated 1/2010

The information contained on this web site is not a substitute for direct examination and treatment by a physician. If any of this material is unclear or confusing, or if you have additional questions or concerns, please call the office at 778-6762. 

Disclaimer:Sonja Brownlee,M.D. cannot endorse all links presented on the website as they may link to unrelated third-party websites.

Is Your Well Water Safe?

Pollutant chemicals or disease causing bacteria can contaminate Private and Community Wells.

The US EPA does not regulate well water. Owners are responsible for their own wells.

Children, especially infants, are more susceptible to the contaminants in well water than are adults.

Does your child drink well water at home or at day care or when traveling?

Well Types

Dug Wells – shallow, 10-30 ft deep, lined with rock, brick, tile, or concrete, with a pump in a nearby pump house or in the dwelling. Dug wells are usually relics on older home sites. They are easy to contaminate and unreliable in most of the US .

Driven Wells – Pipe is driven through gravel or sandy soil, usually about 50 ft deep; the pump is installed at the top of the well or in the dwelling. These are still shallow and relatively easy to contaminate.

Dug wells and driven wells are often the water source at camps or vacation homes.

Drilled Wells – 100-400 ft deep and reach bedrock, most have an electric submersible pump at the bottom. Water is less likely to be contaminated because they are deep.

Routine Testing of Well Water

Well - Mechanical problems - Have the well examined each spring for mechanical problems

Water - Initial test – When you first move into a house with a well, have the water tested for coliforms, nitrate, inorganic substances (total dissolved solids, iron, magnesium, calcium, chloride), fluoride, radon, and lead, as well as any other substances reported to be a problem in your area.

Once a year - Coliforms (bacteria) and nitrates – have the water tested for coliforms and nitrates. Home test kits are available but it is difficult to be sure of their accuracy.

The nitrate concentration must be consistently below 10 mg/L to be safe for infants. Even breast fed infants may need water at some time, and boiling does not remove, and can concentrate, nitrate.

More than once per year in special situations:

• Someone in the house is pregnant or nursing

• If nitrate concentrations fluctuate and there is a child under 1 year of age living in the home.

• There are unexplained illnesses in the household

• Neighbors find a dangerous contaminant in their well water

• There is a change in the odor or taste of the well water

• There is a chemical spill in proximity of the well

• There was a repair or replacement in the well. If a new submersible pump is installed or the well integrity is compromised, such as by a falling tree, a vehicle collision, a flood, or a cut to the water line during landscaping, the well should be tested and, if necessary, shock-chlorinated.

Test for Giardia and Cryptosporidium parasites if:

• Family members have developed Gastrointestinal illness due to Giardia and/or Cryptosporidium

• The well is at the bottom of a hill and/or is shallow (vulnerable to runoff)

• The well is in a rural area where animals graze

 Purchase of a New Home with a Well: The builder should provide the results of a complete water test ( Initial test). If the well was shock-chlorinated after drilling, it should be retested for coliforms after some period of time as recommended by the local health department or agricultural extension agent. Have the builder or agent provide a site plan with the well, its water lines, and the septic tank and field.

Purchase/Rental/Lease of an Existing Home with a Well: Include the well and septic field in any general inspection. Have a complete water test done (Initial test ). If there are filters, softeners, or other devices in the water-supply lines, determine from the seller or landlord what they are treating.

Vacation Homes, Camps, etc: If they have a shallow well, they should be tested yearly before each season. If not, use bottled water for infants or anyone with a compromised immune system. Boiling water and filtration systems on the tap can reduce the risk of acquiring most microorganisms. Boiling water means the water must be brought to a full boil for 1-3 minutes. Filtration will allow viruses and possibly some Giardia cysts through.

Child Care and School: Inquire about your babysitter’s and/or child care center’s water source. If it comes from a well, ask whether it is regularly tested for nitrate and coliforms and what the results are. If testing is not available, infants should be given bottled water until the well is shown to have nitrate concentrations below 10 mg/L.

Fluoride is an accepted preventive for dental caries, and if a child’s drinking water contains little or none, than supplements are necessary. Talk with your doctor about how much fluoride supplement your child needs. Click here for more information on fluoride.

To avoid dental fluorosis, children younger than 9 years should not consume water with fluoride concentrations greater than 2 ppm.