Approximately one-third of Montanans get their household water from private wells and many well owners are not aware that it is their responsibility to test their water quality to ensure it is safe for use. This individual responsibility is far different from the management of public water supplies, where professionals test and provide annual reports about water quality.
MSU Extension Water Quality administers the Well Educated program to provide resources for private well owners to test, understand, and protect groundwater quality for private wells. The Well Educated website linked at the end of the article includes sections on: Testing Your Well Water, Interpreting Your Results, Treating Your Well Water, and Well & Septic Care/Maintenance.
The Well Educated program website includes a page on Testing Your Well Water, with a list of certified water testing labs in Montana so people can look for a lab near them. It is important to use a certified lab when testing for human drinking water quality for confidence in accurate results. This website also includes a list of pick-up locations for test kits to participate in the MSU Extension Well Educated testing program. Test kits have sample bottles, information about how to collect samples, how to decide what to test for, cost, and sample shipping information. Participants in the Well Educated program collect samples, ship them to the designated certified lab with payment, and then receive results in two to three weeks with information to help interpret the results.
It is recommended that private well owners test water quality every year for bacteria and nitrate. When testing for the first time, it is also recommended to test for a complete list of parameters. Labs commonly have a domestic testing package that includes various parameters bundled to provide a discount. The Well Educated website also features a ‘What to Test For: Guidance by County’ page with an interactive map of human health-related water quality information for each county. This page summarizes past Well Educated program results compared to water quality standards for human health. The standards are set by the federal government for water users on public water supplies and are not enforced for private wells, but they provide useful context for private well owners to assess the safety of their water.
The quality of Montana groundwater varies by location, depth, and proximity to natural and human sources of contamination. The Well Educated program has found Total Coliform bacteria present in about 25% of private well samples, which can indicate groundwater influence from the land surface or contamination through the well or plumbing. E. coli bacteria has been found in about three percent of samples and indicates a high risk of waterborne disease. Nitrate above the drinking water threshold has been found in about three percent of samples and poses the greatest risk to infants and pregnant women consuming the water. Arsenic and manganese are two naturally occurring contaminants that have been found above health thresholds in about 10 percent of wells tested through the Well Educated program. Arsenic poses cancer and other health risks to people of all ages, while the largest risks from manganese apply to school-age children related to neurological development. Additional contaminants are present above health thresholds in certain areas, and most have no taste, smell, or color, making water testing the only way to detect issues.
Groundwater accessed through private wells can provide a safe and reliable drinking water source for households, but testing is necessary to ensure safety.
The MSU Extension Well Educated program provides various resources to help with testing, understanding and addressing water quality issues. Please visit the website for more information.