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Source: https://www.epa.gov/privatewells

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Private Drinking Water Wells

slide 1 of 3 * ## Safe Private Drinking Water Wells Private well owners are responsible for delivering safe drinking water to their households. The quality and safety of drinking water from private domestic wells are not regulated by the Federal Government under the Safe Drinking Water Act nor by most state governments and laws. Learn how to protect your household * ## The Quality of our Nation's Waters Around 15 percent of the U.S. population (over 43 million) rely on private wells as their source of drinking water. A U.S. Geologic Survey study of 2,100 private wells Exit EPA’s Website found that water pumped from about one in five wells contained one or more contaminants at a concentration greater than a human-health benchmark for drinking water. * ## Private Well Data Maps EPA estimates that more than 23 million households rely on private wells for drinking water in the United States. In 2021, EPA released estimates of the density of private wells by census blocks, which can be found in DWMAPS or using EPA's Interactive Private Domestic Well Map. * ## Safe Private Drinking Water Wells Private well owners are responsible for delivering safe drinking water to their households. The quality and safety of drinking water from private domestic wells are not regulated by the Federal Government under the Safe Drinking Water Act nor by most state governments and laws. Learn how to protect your household

123 This website: Educates well owners on wells, groundwater, and information on protecting their health. Links to educational materials and resources to help private well owners hosted on other federal and non-profit websites.

Protect Your Well

Glass being filled with water from a tap * Protect Your Home's Water * EPA Drinking Water Well Safety Publications * Private Drinking Water Well Info-graphic * State Private Water Well Programs

Private Well Info and Data

* Learn About Private Water Wells * Well Water Contaminants and their Impacts * Private Domestic Well MapExit EPA’s Website * Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters (DWMAPS)

EPA * Learn about groundwater and aquifersExit EPA’s Website * Groundwater and the rural homeownerExit EPA’s Website

Other Federal Agencies * CDC Private Water System ProtectionExit EPA’s Website * USGS Groundwater Information PageExit EPA’s Website * USGS Groundwater PublicationsExit EPA’s Website * USGS National Water Quality Assessment ProjectExit EPA’s Website

Private Resources * Private Well Help CenterExit EPA’s Website * Learn to care for your wellExit EPA’s Website * Free Private Well TrainingExit EPA’s Website * Private Well Info SheetsExit EPA’s Website * Private Well Basics, Tools, and ResourcesExit EPA’s Website * Groundwater Value and Safe ManagementExit EPA’s Website * Private Well Assessment and WorkshopsExit EPA’s Website

Contact Us About Private Wells to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem. Last updated on March 24, 2026 Welcome! Please share your feedback on how we can make www.epa.gov work better for you. A red asterisk (*) indicates a required field.

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