Seacoast Private Well Initiative to Pilot Free Well Testing
This summer, the Seacoast Private Well Initiative will roll out free well water testing to all households using private wells in 12 communities. The Initiative came out of the work of the Seacoast Commission on Long-Term Goals and Requirements for Drinking Water, which was established under RSA 485-F:6, “to plan for long-term goals and requirements for drinking water on the seacoast.”
After reviewing public water system and private well information for seacoast towns, the Commission decided to take action to address the prevalence of harmful levels of contaminants in private wells and sought funding from the Drinking Water and Groundwater (DWG) Advisory Commission, which oversees the Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund. The goals of the Initiative are:
- To protect public health by reducing exposure to common contaminants in well water.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the approach with a view to potential implementation statewide.
- To promote health-protective best practices by example for private well users statewide.
In January, the DWG Advisory Commission approved the Seacoast Commission’s request for $290,000 to pay for well testing and filter pitchers. The Initiative, which will be carried out by NHDES DWGB staff, will involve six local workshops, free testing (for 14 “standard” parameters plus radon) for all interested private well users in the 12 towns, and a wrap-up private well fair where well users can shop for laboratory and water treatment services. Low-income households with contaminant exceedances will be provided with free filter pitchers. The local workshops and testing are expected to take place this summer, with the private well fair taking place in the fall. For more information, contact welltest@des.nh.gov.