The "Just How Safe Is Drinking Untested Well Water?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my lounge chair with a cat on my lap and my Sunday LNP newspaper in my hand.  Ready for an hour of reading and entertainment.  But, then my eyes drifted to the bottom right of the front page of the paper.  Under the sub-title of PUBLIC HEALTH read Water well pollutants vex owners.  The story told of local experts saying that the EPA safety standards for home well water should be re-examined.  Story was about a local couple from nearby Denver, Pennsylvania who were sure their home was getting clean drinking water from the brand-new well on their property.  Then it struck me!  My daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters recently purchased a home in neighboring Maryland that had a new well on the property.  Needless to say, I continued reading.  The couple in Denver had just moved here from Florida and found out that well water in Pennsylvania is not regulated.  I'm not sure about the state of Maryland, but my guess is they probably have the same regulations as next-door neighbor Pennsylvania.  Being concerned, the couple in the newspaper article called a local company and had their well water tested for purity.  The company can test for lead and bacteria in the well's drinking water.  

How safe is your water if you are using a well?

The state of Pennsylvania has no water regulations except for water that comes from a public water system that serves at least 25 people or more for at least 60 days a year.  There are at least 1 million private wells that are not regulated by any government agency.  Being that most home well water doesn't fall into that category, you are responsible to have your own water tested.  In Lancaster County last year, 62% of the wells tested had water that had either excess bacteria or nitrates.  Now, having some nitrates isn't always bad, but lead and excessive nitrates can cause blue-baby syndrome.  That condition occurs when nitrates block the body's ability to carry enough oxygen to cells throughout the body, resulting in the person appearing blue.  The toxicity is especially dangerous for infants and pregnant or breastfeeding women.  Another problem with higher than acceptable nitrates is an elevated risk of cancer.  But, Pennsylvania doesn't require you report this condition to the state!  And, last year alone, excess nitrates in the drinking water was found in 2,300 of the 12,594 wells tested.  The safest recommended level for nitrates in drinking water is 10 ppm.  Many medical officials would like to have that number lowered.  If you have low contaminant levels in your water, it may not pose an immediate risk, but over time it will create problems.  As for lead in the water...well that's a total no-no!  Doctors do have a problem diagnosing a condition if it is due to drinking water, so it has to be up to the individual homeowner to have their well water tested themselves to make sure it is safe to drink.  If you are not sure about your drinking water it is suggested that you immediately begin cooking with and drinking only bottled water until you can have your water tested.  Anyone who has a compromised immune system; children and pregnant or breastfeeding women, should be provided with an alternative water supply until an adequate water system is in place in their residence.  There are a few methods to correct the problem if you do have contimaneted water.  Installation of an ultraviolet light filtration system and ion-exchange resin filter tank are good precautions against possible contaminants.  As a quick solution, using only water purified in a pitcher with a carbon filter may help.  But the filter will not do the same job as a corrected system.  Most of us have a tendency to put things off, but this is not something to fool with or waste time in having it tested.  It could affect your health for the rest of your life!   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.