If your water supply is a private well, you are one of 53 million Americans (Gallup Organization, 2002) whose water supply is not subject to the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and is therefore not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Most states license or register water-well drillers as well as construction standards for home wells and many local governments such as health departments have rules regarding well construction. However, in most cases, it is the responsibility of the private well owner to ensure that their water source is clean and is of high quality.
- About the Safe Drinking Water Act
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), first passed in 1974 and amended in 1986 and 1996, requires the EPA to set National Drinking Water Standards for potential contaminants in water delivered by Public Water Supplies. Public Water Supplies are required to monitor water quality against the Primary Drinking Water Standards and may also monitor against the Secondary Drinking Water Standards. Many water supplies have wellhead protection / watershed ordinances to protect their water sources from contamination and also treat water prior to distribution.
Currently, there are 100 Primary and Secondary contaminants with EPA limits. It is important to note that many of these contaminants are specific to water distributed by Public Water Supplies. Some are water additives used when treating city water while others are by-products of the disinfection process. Since it is highly unlikely for those contaminants to be found in private wells, DrinkWell™ offers only those contaminants that are more likely to be found in private wells. If you would like to test other contaminants, please email your request to us. For further information on compounds regulated by the EPA visit www.epa.gov/safewater.
- National Drinking Water Regulations
To learn more about Primary and Secondary drinking water regulations, click here.
- Local Regulations and Private Wells
Your state or local health department may have rules pertaining to well construction, placement or testing at the time of well drilling or the sale of a home. Please call your local county health office to determine if there are any regulations that apply to your well.
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