6 EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
'Office of Water
WH-550
EPA 570/9-90-006
April 1990
Citizen Monitoring:
^Recommendations to Household
Well Users
As a user of a household well, you are probably interested in learning-more
about the types of substances and activities that represent potential
threats to your water supply and health. Moreover, you are probably
interested in knowing the steps you might take as a consumer toprotect
your well and become more informed of drinking water issues. This fact
sheet is designed to provide you with this information as well as provide
a list of pertinent reference material.
Approximately 15 percent of the American public (40
million people) receive their drinking water from individu-
ally owned and operated sources such as household wells,
cisterns, and springs. As "private" sources, system owners.
are sofely responsible for the quality of the water provided.
In contrast, public supplies afe'regulated by the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as most State
health or environment departments. By virtue of being
regulated, public supplies are required to ensure that their
•water meets health standards as defined by the government.
The body of law which governs the regulation of public
supplies is called the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). This
law requires that public supplies test their water on a routine
basis for the presence of contaminants and, as necessary,
treat their water continuously to remove or reduce specific
contaminants to levels that will not adversely affect human
health.
Public water supplies are defined by Federal law as systems
connecting to 15 or more households/businesses, or sys-
tems serving 25 or more persons daily at least 60 days out of
a year. Some States, however, define public water supplies
more broadly. The State of Washington, for example, con-
siders any system connecting to more than one household/
business as a public supply. Approximately 85 percent of the
Nation's citizens (230 million people) receive their drinking
water from public water systems, as the term is defined by-
Federallaw.
Although private water supplies or wells are not regulated
under the SDWA, many States have programs to help well
owners protect their water supply. In most cases, these
programs are not regulatory in nature but, rather, are based
on providing pertinent safety information. Such safety in-
formation is important because private wells often are more
shallow than those used by public supplies. The shallower
the well, the greater the potential for contamination.
Potential Drinking Water Contaminants and
Their Related Health Threats
Probably one of the most important and basic concepts to
understand about the Earth's water is that it is not pure. The
composition of water is such that materials — both natural
and man-made — are easily dissolved upon direct contact.
The level or quantity of a substance in-water is the central
issue with respect to determining whether the water is ade-
quate for human consumption.
Potential drinking water contaminants include both micro-
biological and chemical substances. These agents can be
found in nature or be the result of some past or present
human activity. Microbiological substances of concern
include bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Chemical contami-
nants primarily include metals, minerals, and both organic and
inorganic substances.
The health effects related to drinking contaminated water
can either occur over the short- or the long-term, depending
upon the nature of the pollutant. Short-term or acute effects
are those that occur within hours or days following con-
sumption of contaminated water. Long-term or chronic ef-
fects are those that occur after water with low doses of a con-
taminant has been consumed over several years or a lifetime. .
Microbiological organisms in drinking water are generally
associated with human and animal wastes. These organisms
are naturally occurring and can be found in source waters as
well as in distribution systems; Although the potential for
serious disease remains a concern, the most common ill-
Household Well Users—1
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nesses due to the microbiological contamination of drinking
water are short-term gastrointestinal disorders. Typical
symptoms include cramps and diarrhea that may be mild to
very severe.
Naturally occurring chemical contaminants found in some
drinking water are primarily metals (e.g., chromium, mer-
cury, zinc) and minerals (e.g., asbestos). Some naturally
occurring chemical contaminants, such as radium and ra-
don, are radioactive.
Man-made chemicals found in drinking water are primarily
crganics and inorganics. These substances have numerous
industrial, agricultural, municipal, and residential applica-
tions. The improper discharge or use of man-made chemicals
in the environment can result in their presence in drinking
water.
The health effects related to the consumption of chemicals in
drinking water are highly chemical-specific. With a few
exceptions (nitrates), these effects are chronic (long-term) in
nature. Some of the important health risks resulting from
high exposure to chemical contaminants include liver, kid-
ney, and nervous system disorders, cardiovascular and
hypertensive effects, anemia, and carcinogenicity.
Most Common Contaminants Found in
Private Wells
Bacteria •.— namely coliforms — appear to be the primary
contaminant found in private wells. The presence of these
microbiological organisms suggests the infiltration of ani-
mal or human wastes into well water. Septic fields, due to
their location, are often the source of such contamination.
In general, nitrates represent the second most common type
of contaminant found in private wells. The presence of this
naturally occurring chemical suggests that animal and/or
human wastes or that agricultural applications of such sub-
stances as fertilizers are entering the well. Nitrates are of
special concern to young children and women of child-
bearing age. Excessive levels of nitfates have been linked to
the occurrence of "Blue-Baby" syndrome.
Two other important contaminants about which private well
owners should be concerned include lead and radon. Both
substances are naturally occurring. Lead is a poison that can
accumulate in-the body and cause brain, kidney, or nerve
damage in addition to anemia and even death. Lead is espe-
Action Steps for Private Well Owners
1) Obtain the following information from State and
local health or environmental officials:
• listing of contaminants whose levels of occur-
rence are regulated in public water supplies by
the Federal government and the State;
• State or local standards for the drilling and con-
struction of wells and information concerning
whether testingis requiredduring property trans-
fers; and
• listing of land-use activities in the vicinity of the
well and the types of contamina'tion problems
that have been known to occur in other local
wells.
2) Test your water for bacteria at least once per year. If
any changes are noticed in the water's taste, odor, or
color, conduct bacteriological tests on at least a quar-
terly basis. It is also recommended that well water be
tested for bacteria after periods of significant rainfall
or after flooding has occurred.
3) Test your water for nitrates once a year, especially if
young children and women of childbearing age are
consuming the water, if agricultural activities in-
cludinghome gardening are taking place in the area,
and if animal and human wastes are suspected of en-
tering the well. (Whenever bacteria is found in a well as
a result of testing, the. well water should also be ana-
lyzed for nitrates.)
4) Test your primary kitchen tap at least once for the
presence of lead or radon.
5) Test for other contaminants of concern based upon
information obtained from land-use and well assess-
ment activities.
• Assess the sanitary features of the well (i.e., depth to
water, proximity to septic field, etc.). If this informa-
tion is not known by the well owner, a sanitary survey
or well inspection can be contracted. The State's drink-
ing water office or the local health department should
be able to provide suggestions on how to obtain these
services from a licensed sanitarian or engineer. Prices
for inspection services are likely to vary.
• Assess surrounding land-use activities — industrial,
agricultural, governmental, and residential. Identify
potential threats to private wells from these activities.
Some questions to ask oneself when assessing land-
use activities include a) is your well close to or down-
hill from your septic field; b) are there gas stations
nearby whose underground storage tanks could be
leaking; c) are there municipal and hazardous waste
disposal and storage facilities nearby; d)are materials
used on local road surfaces, such as de-icing salts,
properly stored and applied; e) are pesticides and
2—Household Well Users
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ciaYiy dangerous to children and pregnant women.- While
lead exposure through various media can happen, it has been
found to occur in drinking water at sufficient levels to warrant
concern. Lead gets into drinking water through the corrosion
of plumbing materials. Lead pipes, lead-based solder, and
brass faucets used In household and distribution system
plumbing are the sources of this substance in drinking water.
Radon exists naturally underground. As a gas, it can enter
homes in two ways. First and foremost, radon can seep
through soil into cracks in household foundations. Second, it
can seep through soil into well water. When well water is
agitated at'warm temperatures in the home, as in a shower or
washing machine, radon is released into the air. Airborne
radon has been linked to lung cancer in humans. Conse-
quently, it has become a contaminant of concern to public
health officials.
Contamination of private wells by other chemical contami-
nants — whether naturally occurring or man-made — re-
mains a potential problem but generally occurs less fre-
quently than the types of contaminatiqn described above. The
degree to which any well is vulnerable to contamination
depends upon a variety of factors including local geology;
depth to water table; characteristics of soil, water, and
climate;local land-use activities;and characteristics of'home
plumbing materials.
Selected Sources of Information
• State Drinking Water Off ice (usually located in the
Health or Environment Department of State Govern-
ment; often referred to as the Public Water Supply
Program; consult blue "government pages" in your
local phone book for the proper address and phone
number)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safe
Drinking Water Hotline, 800/426-4791 or 202/382-
5533 (can explain and provide copies of Federal drink-
: ing water regulations, provide information on health
issues specific to given drinking-water contaminants,
and help locate your .State drinking water office)
• Local Drinking Water Officials'(city, county, or town-
ship level officials charged with drinking water duties
by the State; these officials do not always exist; if they do
Action Steps for Private Well Owners
(continued)
fertilizers applied in the area; and f) are oils, paints,
pesticides, and.solvents safely stored and discarded
in or around the home?
6) 'ContactState6rlocar(i.e.,city,county,town)drinking
water officials for information on water testing. In
some instances, these governmental agencies may be
able to provide free testing services.
7) Consult the State drinking water office to obtain a list
of laboratories certified by the State to conduct drink-
ing water analyses. Contact a number of laboratories
to assess the .manner in which tests are taken and their
relative cost(s). Laboratory tests are generally sub-
stance-spedfic or specific to a given class of contaminants.
It is not likely that one test will cover all contaminants
of concern to any given well owner. Depending upon
the sophistication of the sampling and testing proce-
dures, the laboratory will either collect the appropri-
ate sample(s) or will providesampling equipment and
instructions to the homeowner. Prices vary for testing
services and can be expensive.
8) Regardless of how or by whom testing services are.
obtained have test results explained by lab personnel
or ask State or local drinking water officials for assis-
tance. Concentrations of contaminants, if detected, for
. which testing has been conducted will be listed on the
test result form. Results will" be expressed in milli-
grams or micrograms per liter (parts per million and
parts per billion, respectively). Test results should be
compared to Federal and relevant State standards for
the particicular contaminant in question. Remember, a
contaminant may exist below some level in water at which
it does not pose a threat to human health. Just because a
substance is detected through testing does not mean that
the well from which the sample was taken is contaminated.
9) Iftestingrevealsconcentrationsofcontaminantsabove
levels acceptable to human health, conduct addi-
tional tests. If repeat tests also show unacceptable
levels of a given contaminant, takeremedial action. In
some cases, a remedy may involve disinfecting the
water source, digging or drilling a new well, replum-
bing or repairing the distribu don system, or possibly
hooking into a nearby public water system. Consult
the State or local drinking water of fice for suggestions
on remedies.
10) Home treatment units represent a potential means for
remediating a contamination problem. It is important
to keep in mind that no single household treatment unit
will remove all potential drinking water contaminants.
Treatment is very specific to the substances) of concern.
Household Well Users—3
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exist, they may be able to provide information on local
land-use activities as well as provide guidance on the
technical aspects of drinking water contamination; local
officials might include such professionals as sanitarians
and well inspectors)
Nearby Public Water System (may be able to provide
information on commonjhreats to water supplies in
area as well as provide some testing services; the State
drinking water office should be able to provide the
names of nearby systems)
Local Cooperative Extension Agent (may be able to
provide information on agriculture and forestry prac-
tices in the area; may also provide information on water
testing)
For Information on Home Treatment Units,
Contact:
• National Sanitation Foundation
P.O. Box 1468
Ann Arbor, MI 48106
Water Quality Association
P.O. Box 606
Lisle, IL 60532
Applicable Reference Materials
Overview of Drinking Water Issues:
• Safety on Tap: A Citizen's Drinking Water Handbook.
Available from League of Women Voters, 1730 M
Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, 202/429-1965.
, Publication No. 840.
• Drinking Water: A Community Action Guide or Ground-
water: A Community, Action Guide. Available from
CONCERN, Inc., 1974 Columbia Road, NW, Washing-
ton, DC 20009,202/328-8160.
Specific to Private Well Owners or to Given Contaminant
(Available from EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline,
800/426-4791 or 202/382-5533)
• Manual of Individual Water Supply Systems'.
Publication No: 570/9-82-004.
• Is Your Drinking Water Safe?
Publication No: 570/9-89-005.
• Protecting Our Drinking Water from Microbes.
Publication No: 570/9-89-008.
• Lead and Your Drinking Water.
Publication No: OPA-87-006.
• Removal of Radon From Household Water.
Publication No: OPA-87-011.
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