The U.S. Geological Survey and the Connecticut Department of Public Health are warning state residents of the chance for higher than recommended levels of arsenic and uranium in their private well.
The warning comes out of a new USGS study which projects that around 3.9% of private wells in the state have arsenic at higher levels than suggested safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the USGS said in a release Tuesday. In addition, the report found that 4.7% of private wells in Conn. have higher concentrations of uranium than EPA guidelines.
As a result of the research findings, state health officials are recommending all private well owners to have their water tested for these contaminants.
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According to DPH, there are approximately 322,578 private wells in Connecticut, which serve around 23% of the state's population. The owners of those wells are responsible for testing the quality of the drinking water from them, DPH said.
“Even though we know there are areas across our state that have higher concentrations than others, any private well in Connecticut has the potential to have elevated arsenic or uranium,” said Ryan Tetreault, DPH's Private Well Program supervisor, in a statement. “Private well owners should have their well water tested at least once for these contaminants.”
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The EPA sets restrictions on approximately 90 contaminants, including arsenic and uranium.
DPH said routine well water testing does not usually include checking for arsenic and uranium.
You can read the full report from the USGS here.
