Public water suppliers are required to test their drinking water regularly and make these tests results available to the public. If you use a private well, it is your responsibility to maintain your well and make sure your water is safe to drink. To do this, you must periodically test your well water for contaminants and protect your wellhead.

Learn more about a well owner's responsibility:

› Idaho Private Well Owner Brochure

  (IDHW Publication, pdf)

› Private Drinking Water Wells: What You Can Do

  (U.S. EPA Web site)

It is recommended that private drinking water wells be tested for contaminants at least once per year (test for nitrate more frequently if a pregnant woman or an infant will be using the water). Contact your local DEQ regional office or Public Health District to learn about constituents of concern in your area. Nitrate, total coliform

(DEQ Fact Sheet: pdf 41 kb, 1 page), and arsenic are three of the most common contaminants in Idaho.

A sudden change in the taste, odor, or appearance of your drinking water may indicate contamination or a problem with your system that may warrant testing. Contact your local Public Health District for advice.

Proper well design, construction, and maintenance can reduce the chance that surface contaminants will get into your well water in the first place. Identify and remove sources of contaminants near the well. Fertilizers, animal wastes, pesticides, and other sources of contamination should be located and managed so that they do not contaminate the well. If a contaminant source is found to be impacting a well, you may need to hire a licensed well contractor to permanently seal and relocate the well.

It is also a good idea to have the well inspected by a licensed well contractor if the well is old, or if you do not know whether it is structurally sound. Problems with land use related contaminants, such as nitrate and pesticides, are sometimes caused by structural flaws, which allow contaminated surface water to enter the well. Repairing the well or constructing a new, deeper well may reduce the level of land use related contaminants in your water. To find licensed well drillers in your area, contact the Idaho Department of Water Resources.

You should also inspect your well and surrounding area frequently and follow the guidelines below when working on or near a well.

 Inspect the well and area surrounding it regularly.

It is important first to distinguish between water quality problems that may be harmful to your health and water quality problems that are only aesthetic problems. Hard water is a common aesthetic problem; a contaminant such as total coliform is a potential health problem.

If your well water tests positive for a contaminant that may harm your health, discuss your test results with an environmental health specialist at your local Public Health District. These professionals can help you determine if your health is at risk.

If you determine your water is contaminated to a point that it may harm your health, fix the problem as soon as possible. You may need to find an alternative drinking water source (for temporary or permanent use), disinfect your well, repair your system, or install a water treatment device.

Many different treatment devices are available. However, no one treatment unit can solve all water quality problems; you may need to purchase several units (combine them in to one system) to treat all of your problems. Research all possible treatment devices carefully to find the best solution for your problem. Before you purchase a system, contact the National Sanitation Foundation (1-877-867-3435) to make sure the treatment system is certified to perform as stated or has the National Sanitation Foundation seal of approval.

If your drinking water comes from a private well, protecting ground water takes on a personal importance. You can protect ground water by:

• Properly disposing of hazardous materials such as paint, bleach, and cleaning products
• Carefully using pesticides and fertilizers (DEQ Brochure, October 2007: pdf 143 kb, 2 pages)
• Watering your lawn wisely; and
• Maintaining your septic system.

Read EPA's A Citizen's Guide to Ground Water Protection to learn more about what you can do to protect ground water.

(DEQ Publication, January 2001: pdf 107 kb, 9 pages)

Idaho Department of Water Resources, Well Information (IDWR Web site)