Rural residents rely on private wells, but many are contaminated; experts recommend yearly testing

Midwestern wells can be contaminated with bacteria and
nitrates. (Photo via the Iowa Environmental Council)

While millions of rural Americans depend on private wells, many residents do not test their water regularly, even though a lot of the wells can be contaminated. "More than 43 million Americans rely on private wells, which are subject to a patchwork of state and local regulations, including standards for new construction," reports Tony Leys of KFF Health News. "But in most cases, residents are free to use outdated wells without having them tested or inspected. The practice is common despite concern about runoff from farms and industrial sites, plus cancer-causing minerals that can taint groundwater. . . . Federal experts estimate more than a fifth of private wells have concentrations of contaminants above levels considered safe."

"Experts urge all users of private wells to have them tested at least annually," Leys reports. "The main [contaminate] concerns vary, depending on an area's geology and industries. . . In Midwestern farming regions, primary contaminants include bacteria and nitrates, which can be present in agricultural runoff. . . . In rural Nevada and Maine, arsenic and uranium often taint water." PFAS chemicals, also called "forever chemicals," can also contaminate wells.

Allison Roderick, an environmental health officer for Webster County in rural north-central Iowa, where many residents rely on well water for everything from cooking to showering, uses her position to educate people on the danger of contaminated water and the resources to fix it. "Like many states, Iowa offers aid to homeowners who use well water. The state provides about $50,000 a year to each of its 99 counties to cover testing and help finance well repairs or treatment," Leys explains. "The money comes from fees paid on agricultural chemical purchases, but about half goes unused every year, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. . . . Last spring, Roderick snared an extra $40,000 that other counties hadn't used. . . . When she finds contamination, she can offer up to $1,000 of state grant money to help with repairs or up to $500 to cap an abandoned well."

Sydney Evans, a senior science analyst for the Environmental Working Group, a national advocacy organization that studies water pollution, told Leys, "[People think] as long as the water is coming out of the tap and it doesn't smell funny," everything must be OK. Leys reports, "Some longtime rural residents live in homes that have been in their families for generations. They often know little about their water source. . . . David Cwiertny, director of the University of Iowa's Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination, said they might not realize impure water can harm health over time."