Connecticut State Department of Public Health

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DPH Announces New Video Series on Private Wells

 

Testing your well is the best way to know if your drinking water is safe

 

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is recognizing National Groundwater Awareness Week, March 8th -14th, by releasing a new video series on private wells to help Connecticut well owners make sure their drinking water is safe. The three part video series informs well owners on how to properly test their well water, and if necessary, seek appropriate water treatment options. 

 

Over 800,000 Connecticut residents – about 25 percent of the state’s population - rely on private wells for their drinking water. Most private wells are typically only tested when they are newly constructed or during real estate transactions.

 

“Unlike public drinking water systems serving many people, private wells do not have experts regularly checking the water’s source and quality before it is sent to the tap,” said Ryan Tetreault, Supervising Environmental Analyst of the DPH Private Well Program. “That’s why it is important for private well owners to test their well for basic indicators such as bacteria, chemicals, and other potential contaminates, to make sure their drinking water is safe.”

 

DPH’s three videos provide well owners with the important information they need to know to ensure the quality of their drinking water. They cover the following topic areas:

    1. “Why Should I Test My Private Drinking Water Well?”
    2. “Private Water Wells: What Chemicals Should I Test For?”
    3. “My Well is Contaminated – What are My Treatment Options?”

The video series is part of a federally-funded multi-year statewide project to encourage private well testing, identify areas of the state at higher risk for contamination, and assist well owners to better understand exposures and risks from contaminated private wells.

 

During National Groundwater Awareness Week, private well owners are encouraged to inspect their wells to ensure the well cap and all connections to the well casing are watertight, store all hazardous chemicals and potential sources of pollution at least 75 feet away from the well, and practice good well stewardship to protect and conserve groundwater.

 

The DPH private well video series and other important information for private well owners is available at www.ct.gov/dph/privatewells.