Environmental
Bulletin

Issued by the State of New Hampshire
Department of Environmental Services
Public Information & Permitting Office
(603) 271-2975
 

For information regarding a particular press release, please contact the person listed on the press release.

Concord, NH – N.H. Department of Environmental Services (DES) Commissioner Robert W. Varney today announced DES’s private well testing initiative, a public outreach effort urging owners of private drinking water wells to have their well water tested periodically for a variety of potential contaminants.

"Though the quality of groundwater in New Hampshire is generally very good," said Varney, "it is important that homeowners with private wells not have a false sense of security about their private drinking water supply. While most wells have good water quality, there are many private wells that are at risk from contamination by a variety of naturally-occurring and synthetic substances. In high quantities, these contaminants can pose a risk to human health."

Varney explained that over the next year DES’s Private Well Initiative will focus on educating people about such dangers as radon, arsenic, and synthetic compounds like MtBE and other gasoline constituents, as well as about the importance of sampling private wells for these potential contaminants. He said that DES will be getting the word out in various ways, including through issuing press releases, placing public service announcements on radio and television, writing articles for the printed media, and distributing materials in highly visited places like shopping malls and home shows, as well as at town halls and water service company showrooms. "We’re also anxious to elevate the awareness of people who come in contact with private well owners, including real estate agents, home inspectors, health officers, and well installers."

Varney noted that two-thirds of New Hampshire citizens get their drinking water from public water supplies, not from private wells. He explained that, unlike private wells, these public water systems are highly monitored to meet federal and state regulations. Health standards have been established for a variety of different substances, and testing and reporting requirements are routinely followed by the licensed public water supply officials who operate these facilities.

"For private well owners, however, potential health risks can remain unknown if they fail to take the prudent step of having their drinking water analyzed at a certified laboratory, either regularly or at least whenever they notice any changes in quality." Varney reiterated, "Groundwater can have high levels of radon and arsenic, two contaminants that occur naturally here in the Granite State. Wells can also become contaminated with solvents, volatile organic compounds contained in gasoline, and other synthetic chemicals when spills or leaks occur nearby." He explained that groundwater does not stay in one place. It migrates through porous sands and gravels and through cracks in bedrock, carrying any contaminants to nearby wells.

"While New Hampshire has made great strides in our spill prevention programs," Varney said, "contamination still occurs even in residential neighborhoods, and naturally occurring contaminants like radon and arsenic are present across the state. Testing is the only way to find out whether a given well has a problem."

In New Hampshire, there are about 200,000 private residential wells that provide approximately 35 percent of the population with its drinking water. Since state law doesn’t require these wells to be tested, and since resources don’t allow for State-funded testing of this great number of private wells, people are urged to do so by contacting the DES laboratory or a private certified laboratory.

"We suggest that residential wells be tested at several different milestones," said Varney. "First, well water should be tested soon after a well is first installed. Thereafter, it is recommended that testing be done every three to five years, every time there is a change in property ownership, and whenever changes in water quality are noticed, including changes in taste, odor, or color."

Varney explained that there is a battery of basic analyses that are typically conducted by laboratories. They include testing for bacteria, iron, manganese, nitrates, lead, copper, arsenic, radon, volatile organic compounds, and other constituents. Varney underscored that the mere presence of these contaminants in someone’s well water doesn’t imply that there’s a problem. However, when the levels exceed state and federal health standards, people should take appropriate steps to correct the situation. Fortunately, contaminated water can often be treated by various methods, like aeration and carbon filtration, so that water is again rendered safe to drink.

For more information on DES’s new private well initiative, or specifically on well testing, water treatment methods, or accredited laboratories, please visit DES’s web site at www.des.state.nh.us (see "What’s New?" and click on "Private Well Testing"). One DES fact sheet of special interest on the web site is WD-WSEB-2-1, "Suggested Water Quality Testing for Private Wells." Also, for printed materials, people may call DES’s Public Information Center at (603) 271-2975.