Private Well Water Safety and Testing

Your water looks, smells, and tastes fine, but it may not be safe to drink. Many Maine wells have too much arsenic, uranium, radon, or other harmful chemicals. The only way to know if your water is safe to drink is to test it.

Want to talk to a well water expert?

We can help you figure out what to test for, and what your test results mean.

Call us at 866-292-3474 toll-free in Maine, or 207-287-4311, TTY: Call Maine Relay 711. Email: ehu@maine.gov

On this page:

• Testing Your Well Water
• Videos on Well Water Testing
• Common Well Water Contaminants and Problems
• Fixing Well Water Problems
• Other Useful Links

 

Testing Your Well Water

• Test your well water once a year for bacteria and nitrates and every 5 years for arsenic, fluoride, uranium, radon, lead, and manganese. Find a lab certified to test your well water (PDF).
• If you have never tested your well water, we recommend doing a comprehensive or standard water test. Other times to test your well include:
  • If you are expecting a baby
  • Your water changes in smell, taste, and color
  • Your well runs dry and comes back
  • When buying a new home
  • After installing a water treatment system or replacing parts of your treatment system
  • After any work is done on your well
• Get our brochure (PDF) to learn more about well water testing
• Find a lab certified to test water for Radon

Videos on Well Water Testing

Watch these videos to learn how to test your well water and how to understand your well water test results.

 

Common Well Water Contaminants and Problems

Tipsheets

• Arsenic (PDF)
• Uranium (PDF)
• If your well has been flooded (PDF)

Websites

• Fluoride
• Lead
• Manganese
• Radon
• Corrosive Water (Penn State Cooperative Extension)
• How to disinfect or shock your well to remove bacteria (Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory)
• How to disinfect or shock your well to remove bacteria (Maine Drinking Water Program)
• If you think your well has been contaminated by a sand/salt pile (Maine Department of Environmental Protection)

Fixing Well Water Problems

• Help paying for arsenic treatment
• Choosing a Radon Treatment Company
• To make sure a treatment system is certified to remove a contaminant

Other Useful Links

• The Maine Tracking Network has data about arsenic and other chemicals commonly found in private wells for Maine towns and counties, and the state.
• A study of arsenic in Maine well water answers important questions about bathing and treatment options. Read the study or get a one-page summary (PDF).
• Resources for communities about well water safety and testing, including training webinars and reports.
• Well water quality resources, including EPA's Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories Tables, and Maine's radon Maximum Exposure Guideline.