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What can I do around my home to protect my drinking water well?

Last Updated: August 03, 2010

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Test private drinking water wells regularly to protect your home water supply. Maintain your septic system by having it inspected and pumped regularly. Clean up pet waste and dispose of it in the garbage. Don't store hazardous household chemicals near your well. Remove debris and brush from around the well.

In addition, practice well-head protection! Most contaminants in domestic well water enter the well through surface water that pools around the well-head. Contaminants then seep into the aquifer around the outside casing of the well (if it is not adequately sealed). Make sure your well-head is a least one foot above the land surface and that water drains away from your well. If you have a pitless adaptor make sure water does not accumulate within the excavation. Chemicals disposed into your septic system can also seep into the aquifer and contaminant your water supply. Failing septic systems are common sources of pathogenic contaminants found in well water.

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