Maine's Groundwater and Wells

Virtual Tour

• Our virtual tour is a series of photos which portray issues related to water supplies, wells, and environmental issues.

Field Localities

• Originally published on the web as the Survey's "Site of the Month," these sites include more detailed descriptions of geologic features, field trips, and localities.
  • The Freeport Basin Study: A Cooperative Investigation of Water Use
  • Hydrogeology of the Bingham Water District Well
  • Hydrogeology of the Governor Hill Fish Hatchery, Augusta
  • Maine's Highest Yielding Well

Frequently Asked Questions

Fact Sheets

• Alkalinity: An Important Parameter in Assessing Water Chemistry
• Anatomy of a drilled bedrock well
• Corrosive Water – Facts, Common Questions, and Resources (PDF 0.1MB)
• Groundwater, Wells and the Summer of 1999
• Maine Springs
• Maine's Dug Wells
• Sand and gravel aquifer maps - A work in progress
• Sand and gravel aquifers
• Seismic refraction profiling: An important tool used in mapping sand and gravel aquifers
• Water resources in Maine
• Water well information

Geologic Maps and Digital Data

• ONLINE hydrogeologic map series
  • Significant Sand and Gravel Aquifer Maps Online
  • Bedrock Ground-Water Resources Basic Data Maps Online
• PRINTED geologic maps
  • Descriptions of MGS hydrogeologic map series
    • Significant Sand and Gravel Aquifer Maps
    • Bedrock Ground-Water Resources Basic Data Maps
• Water Well Database - Downloadable database of located water wells.

Related Reading

• Ground Water Handbook for the State of Maine
• Bibliography of Maine Geology - For those interested in more in-depth research, the Bibliography of Maine Geology contains more than 12,000 references related to Maine geology. The Bibliography is part of the Maps and Publications Search. The search results displayed will have links to online Maine Geological Survey maps and publications.

Water Resources Planning Committee

Groundwater Regulatory Issues

• Review of Ground-Water Withdrawal Regulations

Residential wells

• Maine Department of Health and Human Services
  • Private wells - information for homeowners - well types, hydrogeology, water treatments, water and well facts, arsenic facts and treatment, links for private wells, water testing
  • Water testing
  • Well water safety - Different agencies within the State of Maine provide information on well water safety. Use this page to link to the right agencies.
• National Groundwater Association
  • Wellowner.org - information relating to private water well systems and groundwater
• Water Systems Council
  • wellcare Information Sheets - fact sheets about wells, well components, water testing, and contamination

Groundwater

• Maine Municipal Planning Assistance Program
  • Groundwater Technical Assistance Bulletin (pdf)
• U.S. Geological Survey
  • Daily Ground-Water Conditions for Maine
  • Education — Learn About Water
  • Groundwater
  • Groundwater and the Rural Homeowner
  • Water Resources of Maine
  • What is ground water?

Ground-Water Contamination

• Maine Department of Environmental Protection
  • Groundwater
• Maine Department of Health and Human Services
  • Healthy Home Program
  • Well water quality
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Citizen's Guide to Groundwater Protection (pdf)

Natural Water Contaminants

• Radon
  • Maine Department of Health and Human Services
    • Maine Radon Homepage
    • Radiation testing - Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory
  • U.S. Geological Survey
    • The Geology of Radon
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    • Indoor Air - Radon (Rn)
    • Radon-Specific Publications and Resources
• Arsenic
  • Maine Department of Health and Human Services
    • Arsenic Facts
    • Arsenic Treatment
    • Have you tested your well water for arsenic? (pdf)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    • Arsenic in Drinking Water
  • Maine Geological Survey
    • Arsenic in Groundwater
• Uranium
  • Maine Department of Health and Human Services
    • Uranium in my well water: Now what do I do? (pdf)

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Last updated on December 2, 2019