How to Evaluate Drinking Water from Household Wells InspectAPedia® -
- ground water pollution prevention, well water testing, well water safety, US EPA advice part 1
Who is responsible for making sure that the drinking water from a private well is safe?
Sources of ground water pollution of drinking water & wells
Health concerns about water pollution
Levels of risk due to water contaminants
Steps to improve well water safety
Protecting ground water
How to correct ground water contamination
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If your family gets drinking water from your own well, do you know if your water is safe to drink? What health risks could you and your family face? Where can you go for help or advice? This pamphlet helps answer these questions.
This US EPA document along with additional editing and details we've provided gives you general information about drinking water from home wells (also considered private
drinking water sources). It describes types of activities in your area that can create threats to your water supply.
An EPA Guide to Contaminants in Drinking Water from Household Wells - EPA 816-K-02-003 January 2002
All of us need clean water to drink. We can go for weeks without food, but only days without water. Contaminated water can be a threat to
anyone's health, but especially to young children.
About 15 percent of Americans have their own sources of drinking water, such as wells, cisterns, and springs. Unlike public drinking water
systems serving many people, they do not have experts regularly checking the water's source and its quality before it is sent through pipes
to the community.
To help protect families with their own wells, almost all states license or register water-well installers. Most also have construction
standards for home wells. In addition, some city and county health departments have local rules and permitting. All this helps make sure
the well is built properly. But what about checking to see that it is working correctly and the water is always healthy to drink? That is
the job of the well owner, and it takes some work and some knowledge.
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