Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Services Consumer and Environmental Health Services

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FACTS Private Well Testing

Introduction 3

Why Should You Test Your Well Water? 4

What Are the Most Common Sources of Well WaterContamination? 6

What Health Effects Are Associated with Well WaterContaminants? 8

What Factors Determine the Likelihood That Your WellWater Will Become Contaminated? 11

What Contaminants Should You Test for? 15

Where Should You Have Your Well Water Tested? 18

How Much Does it Cost to Test Your Well Water? 18

What Do Your Test Results Mean? 20

What Should You Do if Contaminants are Found in YourWell Water? 22

What Can You Do to Reduce the Level of Contaminantsin Your Well Water? 23

What Can You Do to Protect Your Well Water fromContamination? 24

For More Information 25

Other Available Materials 26

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INTRODUCTION

!! About 10% of New Jersey residents get theirdrinking water from private wells. While publicwater supplies are protected under the State andfederal Safe Drinking Water Acts, private wellowners are solely responsible for monitoring thequality of their own well water and for maintainingtheir own well.

!! Regular water testing is an importantstep that private well owners can take toensure that their water supply is bothsafe to drink and appealing to use.

!! Older private wells are often moresusceptible to contamination thanpublic water supply wells since theytend to be shallower, less carefullyconstructed, and located too close tocommon sources of contamination,such as household septic systems.

!! A variety of water testing services are available from contaminants in your wellNew Jersey certified commercial laboratories. Inaddition, some local health departments provide lowcost testing services.

!! Private well owners are responsible for making surethat their well is working correctly. Proper welldesign, construction, and maintenance help toprotect your drinking water supply, ensuring that itwill be appealing in taste with no odor or color andwill not be harmful to drink. In New Jersey,individuals who install private wells must now belicensed and follow strict construction standards.

WHY SHOULD YOU TEST YOUR WELL WATER?

You should feel confident Even if your well waterthat your well water is safe appears to be problem-free,to drink and acceptable for it may not necessarily beother household uses. Regular testing will provideyou with assurances that your water does not containunacceptable levels ofcontaminants that maybe harmful to yourhealth and the healthof your family.

There may beknown orsuspected wellwatercontaminationin your area. Regular testing canhelp you to observechanges in water health effects fromquality over time and identifyproblems before theynegatively affect your water children, people withsupply and health. Even if weakened immune systems, you currently have a safe pregnant women, and thewater supply, periodic testing elderly are particularlycan establish a record of your vulnerable to waterwater quality over time which contamination. It is especiallycan be useful in solving important to test your waterproblems that may occur in regularly if any of thesethe future and in obtaining individuals are living in yourcompensation if someone household.damages your water supply.

acceptable to drink. Thecause of recurrent incidencesof waterborne illness may goundetected when your watershows no obvious signs of

contamination. Regulartesting can help youidentify the presenceof contaminants in

your water that mayotherwise gounnoticed.

Some membersof yourhousehold maybe more likely to

experience harmful

water. Infants and young

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Certain factors may make Your local healthyour private well department may requiresusceptible to private well testing undercontamination. Many factors, certain circumstances, suchincluding well design, construction, and location, willhelp to determine thelikelihood that your well will in the environment while others result from humanbecome contaminated. Onceyou evaluate to what extentyour well is at risk ofcontamination, you canestablish a regulartesting schedulesuitable to yourspecific situationin order tomonitor yourwater quality.

Naturally-occurringsubstances inthe ground potential buyerscan result inan unpleasanttaste, smell, andappearance of your wellwater, or in stained clothesand plumbing fixtures. Regular testing forsubstances, such as iron,copper, and manganese, willhelp you to identifycontaminants that affect theaesthetic qualities of your well A change in water quality maywater and select proper indicate that your treatmenttreatment methods designed unit is not working properly orto eliminate these that a change in treatment isinconveniences. needed.

as for a new well or during areal estate transfer. Somelocal health departmentsrequire you to test your wellbefore using it for the firsttime or when you buy a homein order to protect you from

unnecessary andunknowing exposure towater contamination. Thereafter, regular

well testing hasthe addedbenefit ofestablishing arecord of yourwater qualityover time andproviding

with valuableinformation if

you ever want to sell yourhome.

Regular testing can behelpful for monitoring theeffectiveness of a homewater treatment unit. Mosthome water treatment unitsrequire regular maintenance.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SOURCES OFWELL WATER CONTAMINATION?

Contact yourlocal health

department orNJDHSS for

moreinformationabout theseand other

common wellwater

contaminants.

There are many substances that can negatively affectthe quality of your well water. Some are found naturally

activities. The most common sources of well watercontamination in New Jersey include:

Infectious Microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses,and protozoa, are naturally found in human and animalwastes. They can enter your well water from faultyhousehold septic systems or nearby animal feedlots.

Nitrates often come from the natural breakdown ofhuman and animal wastes. They are also found inchemical fertilizers. Nitrates can enter your well waterfrom faulty household septic systems, nearby farms,home fertilizer use and municipal landfills.

Lead was used in the past to makehousehold plumbing materials. Lead pipes and solder can still befound in many older homes. Smallamounts of lead are also found inbrass faucets and in some wellpumps. Lead can enter your wellwater from household plumbing aswater travels from the well to yourtap, especially if your water isacidic. Other sources of leadinclude municipal landfills, andindustrial facilities and waste sites.

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VOCs commonly found in drinking water include benzene, carbon1

tetrachloride, dichloroethane, dichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene,trichloroethane, trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride. VOCs can bereleased into indoor air when you use your well water.

Radon comes from the radioactive decay of uranium and radium in2

rock. Radon gas can move through the soil into your well water, and bereleased into indoor air when you use the water.

Other contaminants that are sometimes found inwell water typically come from the following sources:

Contaminant Examples Common Sources

Inorganic Mercury household septic systemscompounds municipal waste landfills

industrial facilities hazardous waste sites

Organic Volatile household septic systemscompounds Organic

Compounds(VOCs)1

underground storage tanksgas stationsmunicipal waste landfillsdry-cleaning facilitiesindustrial facilitieshazardous waste sites

Pesticides farmsresidential areasgolf courses

Radionuclides Uranium rocks and soilsRadium industrial facilitiesRadon2

hazardous waste sites

WHAT HEALTH EFFECTS ARE ASSOCIATEDWITH WELL WATER CONTAMINANTS?

The health effects of the most common drinking watercontaminants include:

Infectious Microorganisms can cause symptomssuch as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomachcramps. In healthy adults, these effects are usuallymild and do not last long. Infants, children, theelderly, and individuals with weakened immunesystems may have more severe symptoms.

Nitrates can interfere with the blood’s ability to carryoxygen throughout the body resulting in a type ofanemia called methemoglobinemia. In infants, thiscondition is called “blue baby syndrome.” Infants,young children, pregnant women and womenconsidering pregnancy should avoid exposure tonitrates.

Lead is easily absorbed and stored by thebody causing learning, behavioral, anddevelopmental problems in infants and

young children. Women should avoidexposure to lead during pregnancy.

Lead can reach the unbornchild through thebloodstream resulting inpremature births, smaller babies at birth, anddecreased mental abilityin infants.

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Health effects can be either acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). 1

Acute effects occur almost immediately upon exposure. Chronic effectsresult from exposure to small amounts of a substance over a long periodof time. Exposure to chemical contaminants in drinking water is morelikely to result in chronic effects than in acute effects.

VOCs can get into your body through inhalation when the water is2

used, such as during showering and washing dishes.

Radon gas can get into your body through inhalation when the water is3

used, such as during showering and washing dishes

Other contaminants that are sometimes found in wellwater are associated with the following health effects:

Contaminant Examples Health Effects1

Inorganic Mercury Nervous system and kidney damagecompounds

Organic Volatile Effects of exposure to low levels arecompounds Organic not well understood. In the

Compounds workplace, high levels of exposure(VOCs) have been found to cause liver,2

kidney, and nervous systemdisorders, irregular heartbeat, highblood pressure, anemia and cancer.

Pesticides Birth defects and increased risk ofcancer

Radionuclides Uranium Long-term exposure to radium inRadiumRadon3

water is believed to increase the riskof developing bone cancer andcancer of the head sinuses. Radongas in indoor air has been linked withlung cancer, and smokers are athighest risk.

In general, thefollowingfactors

determinewhether

harmful healtheffects willresult fromexposure to

contaminants inyour well water:

Ø the toxicity of thecontaminant found in your wellwater: Some contaminants aremore likely to cause health effectsthan others.

Ù the amount of thecontaminant found in your wellwater: Health effects are morelikely to occur as the level of thecontaminant increases. Manycontaminants, however, areunlikely to cause health effectsbelow certain levels.

Ú how long and how often youare exposed to thecontaminant: The type andseverity of health effects thatoccur depend on how frequentlyyou have been exposed and howmuch of the contaminant has builtup in your body over time.

Û individual characteristics: Your age, sex, family traits,and health status can affecthow likely you are toexperience health effectsfrom the contaminant.

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WHAT FACTORS DETERMINE THELIKELIHOOD THAT YOUR WELL WATER WILL BECOME CONTAMINATED?

It is importantfor you to

determine thelikelihood thatyour own wellwill become

contaminatedbased on your

specificcircumstances.

Numerousfactors

influence yourwell’s

susceptibility tocontamination.

Ø Type and age of your well: Hand dug wells tend to beinadequately enclosed andunprotected from nearbycontamination.

Ù Depth of your well: Shallow wells that receivewater from very close to theground’s surface are easilyimpacted by surfacecontamination.

Ú Location of your well: Awell that is located close to thehousehold septic system orother nearby septic systems,particularly those uphill, maybe contaminated by commonhousehold wastes. NewJersey regulations require thatnew wells be located at least100 feet from any possiblesource of contamination.

Û Construction and maintenance of your well:Improper well design and construction can place yourwell at risk of contamination. Likewise, inadequatewell repair and maintenance (such as failing tochlorinate the well after repair work is done) can leadto contamination. State and local standards for thedrilling, construction, location, and maintenance ofwells can be used to ensure the proper installation ofa new well and to evaluate the integrity of an existingwell.

Ü Characteristics of your local geology, groundwater, and climate: Soil type, underlying rockformations, water chemistry and weather conditionsinfluence the likelihood that contamination will reachyour well. For example, acidic water tends todissolve metals, such as lead and copper, fromhousehold plumbing materials into the water. Contactyour local health department or local cooperative

extension agent for more information aboutenvironmental conditions in yourarea.

Ý Characteristics of yourhousehold plumbing materials

and well components: Lead pipes(used before 1940), lead solder (used

before 1987) and brass plumbingfixtures can contribute significantly to

lead levels in your well water. Some wellpumps also contain lead. Corrosiondamage to copper plumbing, indicatedby a blue-green stain around the sink

drain, may be a sign of acidic water.

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Þ Natural sources of ground à Local land use activities: water contamination: Substances, Possible sources of contamination to yoursuch as radium, may be found well may depend upon wherenaturally in the ground water that supplies you live and what you are livingyour well. In addition, radium can be near. Common sources of wellreleased into your indoor air as contamination include:radon gas when you use your wellwater. Contact your local health ! livestock management areasdepartment or the New Jersey ! farms and fruit orchardsDepartment of Environmental ! hazardous waste sites andProtection for more information municipal landfills on radium and radon in ground ! underground gasoline storagewater. tanks

ß Household practices: Many possible sources ofcontamination to your well may come from yourhousehold activities. The improper use and storageof household chemicals can result in thecontamination of your own well. Likewise, improperdisposal of chemicals, such as into the septic system,can place your well at risk of contamination. Common household sources of contaminationinclude:

! paints your neighborhood may also be! pesticides impacting your well. Previous! lawn and garden contamination of your well may

fertilizers increase the likelihood that your well! well water will become contaminated in the

treatment future. Contact your local healthchemicals, such as department for more informationdisinfectants and about contamination problemscorrosion inhibitors in your area.

! heavy industry, such asmachine shops andchemical plants

! local businesses, such as gas stations and drycleaners

! municipal public works facilities, such as roadmaintenance (deicing salt storage andapplications)

á Known or suspected private wellcontamination: Well contamination problems in

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WHAT CONTAMINANTS SHOULD YOU TESTFOR?

It is impractical and be able to provideunnecessary to test for advice about whatall possible contaminants to test for. contaminants. While it Your local healthis a good idea to test department can also tellregularly for certain you if there are anycontaminants, such as specific well testing Keep a record of all your water testmicroorganisms, requirements results as a guide for future testing. testing frequency for for your area. Even slight changes in contaminantother contaminants levels may be good indicators ofshould depend Specific lab new water problems you may not noticeupon how tests should yourself. By observing any changessusceptible be selected that occur over time, you may be able toyour well is to based on correct problems before theycontamination what is negatively affect your water supply(see page 11 appropriate and health.for more for yourinformation). situation. Your local While some labhealth department or tests look for only oneyour cooperative type of contaminant,extension office can other tests look for agive you advice on class of contaminants. specific tests to have In most situations,done based on any several different testsknown water quality will be necessary toproblems in your area. address all theLocal commercial labs contaminants that are ofmay also be familiar concern to you.with problems specificto your area and may

Water samples should be collected from thefaucet used for drinking and cooking

purposes. If possible, test your water underthe worst conditions, such as after a heavyrain when contamination is most likely to

occur, and during different seasons each year.

The following informationcan be used as general

guidance to help you decidewhat contaminants you may

need to test for and howoften you should test. Keepin mind that you may need

to test more often thanindicated based on your

individual circumstances.

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A total coliform bacteria test measures the total number of living coliform1

bacteria in the water. Although most types of coliform bacteria are notharmful, their presence in drinking water may mean that disease-causingbacteria are present. A first draw lead sample is collected from the tap after the water has not2

been run for several hours or more, such as overnight. A gross alpha test measures the amount of alpha radiation from all radio-3

nuclides that may be present in the water. If a high level of radioactivity isfound, additional tests are needed to identify which radionuclides are present. Secondary contaminants are those that negatively affect the odor, color,4

taste or appearance of the water. pH measures how acidic or basic the water is.5

Total dissolved solids measures the level of dissolved materials in water.6

Other secondary contaminants include chloride, corrosivity, hardness, iron,7

manganese, and sodium.

CONTAMINANT TYPE OF TEST FREQUENCY

- Minimum Testing Recommendations -

Microorganisms total coliform at least once a yearbacteria1

Nitrates total nitrate/nitrite once a year(as nitrogen)

Lead first draw lead at least once2

- Additional Testing Recommendations -

Mercury total mercury once a year

VOCs volatile organic scan once a year

Pesticides pesticide scan once every 3 years

Radionuclides gross alpha at least once3

Secondary Contaminants :4

pH once a year5

Total Dissolved Solids once a year6

Other once every 3 years7

WHERE SHOULD YOU HAVE YOUR WELLWATER TESTED?

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO TEST YOURWELL WATER?

Commercial testing labs are listed inthe yellow pages of the telephonebook. Make sure that the lab iscertified to test for the specificcontaminants of concern to you. A

list of New Jersey certified labs inyour area can be obtainedfrom your local healthdepartment, cooperativeextension office, or the

New Jersey Department ofEnvironmental Protection.

Contact several certified commerciallabs to ask about specific costs for eachof the water tests you are interestedin. Also, check with your localhealth department to find out ifthey provide low cost testingservices.

Prices will vary depending upon thetype of sampling and testingprocedures involved.

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Since testing can beexpensive; it is bestto run tests that arebroad in scope and

provide the mostinformation.

Evaluate your well’svulnerability to

specific types ofcontamination. Testing for only

those contaminantsthat are likely to bepresent will help toreduce lab costs. Contact your localhealth departmentfor advice on what

contaminants to testfor.

For example, in somecases, a trained lab The commercial testing lab shouldtechnician will collect the provide you with a complete reportsample; in other cases, of your well water test results. Thethe lab will provide you report should list all thewith sampling equipment contaminants that were testedand instructions. (Be sure for and the concentrationsto follow the instructions that were found, if any. carefully for proper Some contaminant levelssample collection, are reported in parts perpreservation and million (ppm), or milligrams perhandling.) Although liter (mg/l); others are reported in parts per billionsample collection by the (ppb), or micrograms per liter (ug/l).lab will tend to be moreexpensive, it may be If contaminants are found, it does not necessarilynecessary in order to mean your water is unacceptable to drink. In order toobtain reliable test results. protect the public from harmful health effects of

WHAT DO YOUR TEST RESULTS MEAN?

contaminants in drinking water, both federal andState public drinking water standards and actionlevels were established to limit the amount of certaincontaminants in public drinking water supplies:

! Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) areset at levels that provide a wide margin ofprotection from harmful health effects for mostpeople over a lifetime. Public watercompanies are legally required to meet MCLs.

! Action levels (ALs) are trigger points at whichcorrective action should be undertaken by thepublic water company. ALs are enforceable bylaw.

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Contaminant Water Standard

Microorganisms(total coliform)

Absence of coliformbacteria1

Nitrates 10,000 ppb1

Lead 15 ppb2

New Jersey Maximum Contaminant Level1

If more than 10% of household drinking2

water samples exceed the action level forlead, corrective actions must be taken bythe public water company.

Contact your local health department,cooperative extension office, or NJDEP for a

complete list of State and Federal publicdrinking water standards.

Public drinking water standards can be used asguidelines to determine whether you need to takesteps to lower contaminant levels in your private wellwater. For example, your well water test results canbe compared with those listed in the table below:

If contaminants are found in your well water at levels properly.below the standards, it is unlikely that you or yourfamily will experience any harmful health effects fromthe presence of these contaminants in your drinking ! If contaminants are found in the secondwater. If your test results are above the standards, sample, take steps to reduce contaminantyou should consider taking steps to reduce levels in your well water.contaminant levels in your well water.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF CONTAMINANTSARE FOUND IN YOUR WELL WATER?

Contact your lab, local health department,cooperative extension office, or NJDHSS, forhelp in understanding your test results, andfor advice on steps you can take to reduce

contaminants in your well water.

Federal and State public drinkingwater standards and actionlevels can be used to help youidentify any problems with yourwell and to decide whether youneed to take any correctiveactions.

If contaminants are found in yourwell water at levels above thestandards, you should:

! Retest your well water to make sure thatthe first sample was collected and analyzed

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WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OFCONTAMINANTS IN YOUR WELL WATER?

Corrective actionsshould be

selected based onthe contaminants

of concern and thesource of

contamination. Some actions are

intended for short-term use while

others areconsidered to be

permanentsolutions.

You can reduce the level ofcontaminants in your well waterby taking one or more of thefollowing corrective actions:

!! Install a home watertreatment device

! Install a new and/ordeeper well

! Repair and/or maintainyour septic system

! Connect to a nearbypublic water supply

In many instance, there are temporary stepsthat you can take to lower your exposure tospecific contaminants in well water untilpermanent solutions are found. Forexample, boiling your water for atleast one minute and disinfectingyour well are effective ways of reducingyour exposure to microorganisms. Also,lead levels can be lowered by replacingor repairing your household pipes. Ofcourse, purchasing bottled water is aquick and easy way of reducing yourexposure to contaminants in well water.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOUR WELLWATER FROM CONTAMINATION?

Ensure the proper design, construction and location ofyour well. Be sure that your well is installed by a licensed welldriller. Contact your local health department for moreinformation about well construction and location requirements.

Establish and implement a regular maintenance schedulefor your well. Follow your manufacturer’s well maintenanceinstructions. Keep accurate up-to-date records of wellinstallation, repairs, pumping tests, and water tests.

Ensure proper septic system design, location, andmaintenance. Do not dispose of hazardous householdchemicals in your septic system. Be sure to perform routinemaintenance of your septic system. Contact your local healthdepartment about septic system requirements.

Protect the area around your well. Conduct a householdinventory of the hazardous chemicals found in and around yourhome. Ensure the proper use, storage and disposal ofhousehold chemicals. Follow instructions carefully for theapplication of garden fertilizers and pesticides. Protect thearea around your well from livestock, pet and wildlife wastes.

Identify possible sources of contamination to your well. Beaware of water contamination problems in your neighborhood. Contact your local health department or cooperative extensionoffice about contamination your area.

Disinfect your well before using it for the first time andafter any repair work.

Maintain home water treatment devices according to themanufacturer’s instructions.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION...

‚‚ Local Health DepartmentLocal telephone directory

Local water issues and land-use activities, private well testingguidance, well construction requirements, and health effects of

contaminants in well water

‚‚ New Jersey Department of Health and Senior ServicesConsumer and Environmental Health Services

PO Box 369Trenton, NJ 08625-0369

(609) 588-3120Health effects of chemically contaminated

drinking water

(609) 588-7500Health effects of microorganisms in drinking water

(609) 588-3123Bottled water regulations

‚‚ New Jersey Department of Environmental ProtectionBureau of Safe Drinking Water

(609) 292-5550Federal and State drinking water regulations and public water

supply monitoring results

Bureau of Water Allocation(609) 984-6831

Well permitting and regulations

FOR MORE INFORMATION...

Office of Quality Assurance(609) 292-3950

NJ certified laboratories for well testing

Bureau of Site Remediation(609) 984-5862

Home water treatment devices

Radon Information Line(800) 648-0394

‚‚ United States Environmental Protection AgencySafe Drinking Water Hotline

(800) 426-4791Federal drinking water regulations, health effects of drinking

water contamination, and water safety issues

‚‚ County Office of Rutgers Cooperative ExtensionLocal telephone directory

Local land use activities and private well testing guidance

‚‚ NSF International(313) 769-8010(800) NSF-6275

Home water treatment device and bottled water information

- 27 - July, 1997

OTHER AVAILABLE MATERIALS...

Name_____________________________________

Address____________________________________

Town____________________State_______Zip____

” FACTS: Lead in Drinking Water

” FACTS: Mercury in Drinking Water

” FACTS: Microorganisms in Drinking Water

” FACTS: Nitrate and Nitrite in Drinking Water

” FACTS: Pesticides in Drinking Water

” FACTS: Volatile Organic Compounds in Drinking Water

” Parasites and New Jersey Drinking Water: Information on Giardia and Cryptosporidium

” Contacts and Information: Drinking Water Issues

” Don’t Drink Lead (11" x 17" poster) ” Don’t Drink Lead (8½” x 11" flyer)

” Keep Your Baby Safe From Lead (11" x 17" poster) ” Keep Your Baby Safe From Lead (8½” x 11" flyer)

Please send this order form to:

New Jersey Department of Health and Senior ServicesConsumer and Environmental Health Services

PO Box 369Trenton, NJ 08625-0369

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