Contaminants in 20 Percent of U.S. Private Wells

More than 20 percent of private domestic wells sampled across the nation
contain at least one contaminant at levels of potential health concern.
About 43 million people - or 15 percent of the Nation's population - use
drinking water from private wells, which are not regulated by the Federal
Safe Drinking Water Act. USGS scientists sampled about 2,100 private wells
in 48 states and found that the contaminants most frequently measured at
concentrations of potential health concern were inorganic contaminants,
including radon and arsenic. These contaminants are mostly derived from the
natural geologic materials that make up the aquifers from which well water
is drawn. Complete findings are available at
http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/studies/domestic_wells/. For more information,
listen to a podcast interview with USGS scientist Leslie DeSimone on this
report at http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/details.asp?ep=90 or contact Leslie
at ldesi...@usgs.gov or (508) 490-5023.

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

News Release

For release: April 3, 2009

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