Why test your well water?
The resources listed below accompany the “Why test your well water?” brochure developed by the UNC School of Law, Law Student Well Water Pro Bono Project in conversation with the UNC Superfund Research Program, the NC Department of Health & Human Services (NC DHHS), Division of Public Health, Private Well and Health Program, & the NC Real Estate Commission.
Click the links below to download the Well Testing brochure.
English: for web | for print (tri-fold)
Spanish: for web | for print (tri-fold)
Brochure citation: Savasta-Kennedy, M., George, A., Anderson, T., Corey, L., Randive, C., Ruben, B., Washington, J., White, S., Cralle Jones, C., Lane, M.R., Norcutt Preuss, A., & Gray, K. (2022). Why test your well water? Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Superfund Research Program.
To set up well testing services, contact the Environmental Health staff in your county.
Resources
NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
- Private Wells and Health
- Private Water Supply Wells Program Resources
- Testing Private Well Water
- Contaminant Maps by County
- Well Water Facts and Figures
- Selecting a Well Water Treatment System for Your Home
- Well Water FAQs
NC Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
- Private Wells Overview
- North Carolina Community Mapping System – help identify potential contaminants of concern nearby
- Division of Waste Management Site Locator Tool – help identify potential contaminants of concern nearby
- Groundwater Resources
Federal Acts and Legal Information
- Federal Safe Drinking Water Act
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act (CERCLA) – Disposing of hazardous substances in wells can create liability for any resulting contamination under this act. 42 U.S.C. §§ 9601, 9607.
- NC Coal Ash Management Act of 2014 (CAMA) – Applies to wells located within a 0.5 mile radius of coal ash impoundments. NC Gen. Stat. §130A-309.211 (2020).
- NC Oil & Gas Conservation Act – If a driller is planning an oil or gas extraction well, this act requires the driller to test all water supplies within a 0.5 mile radius of a proposed wellhead before drilling & do follow-up testing. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 113-432(f) (2020).
- Bernard Allen Memorial Emergency Drinking Water Fund
Additional Resources
- Clean Water for NC – Empowers and educates North Carolina communities to obtain clean, safe, accessible water, and has helpful resources for well owners.
- UNC Superfund Research Program – Community resources for well owners and information on well testing and well water and health.
- National Water Systems Council – Provides information on private well care, including information for homeowners & Real Estate Professionals. Membership in the Well Owners Network is free & provides access to a Hotline: 888-395-1033 as well as other valuable resources.
