Information Sources for Drinking Water & Household Wells or Water Boreholes

Water well construction resources:

Where to find information about a particular water well: history, location, contamination, treatments, local or area well problems that may affect the well.

Our page top photo shows a well driller repairing submersible pump wiring at the well head. Don't neglect local well drilling and plumbing experts and local water test laboratories as sources of local information about your individfual well as well as about local water conditions & contaminants.

Where to Find Out More About Water Contamination: Sources of Information on Well Water

The many linksat the end of this article and within this EPA article provide extensive and detailed articles on water testing, correcting bad water, and related topics -- DF

To find out more about your watershed and its ground water visit "Surf Your Watershed" at www.epa.gov/surf. Also look at the "Index of Watershed Indicators" at www.epa.gov/iwi.

These websites can also tell you possible sources of problems. Companies with permits to release their wastewater in your area are listed. You can see if they meet pollution control laws. You can also learn how your watershed compares to others in the country.

Our well photo at left shows an open ... well we're not sure. It look s like a home-made dug well or cistern in a building basement. It is very unlikely that this well can provide reliably sanitary water.

Information Sources for Water Well Construction in Australia

• "Minimum Construction Requirements for Water Bores in Australia", [PDF] (2012) published by the Government of Western Australia Department of Water, free at website: http://www.water.wa.gov.au/PublicationStore/first/102386.pdf

Information Sources for Water Well Construction in Australia

• "The Water Project", Website: http://thewaterproject.org/wells_for_india

Information Sources for Water Well Construction in the U.K.

• UK Groundwater Forum: " want a borehole on my property as a source of drinking water, irrigation water or for industrial use, what should I do?" at website: http://www.groundwateruk.org/I-want-a-borehole.aspx
• "Well Construction Standards, SPC/Technical/General/42" prublished by the U.K. Health and Safety Executive at website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/hid_circs/technical_general/spc_tech_gen_42.htm

Information Sources for Well Construction in the United States

• HAND DUG WELL PROCEDURE - how to dig a well
• SPRING BOX CONSTRUCTION
• SPRING BOX REPAIR
• Aller, Linda, Truman W. Bennett, Glen Hackett, Rebvecca J. Petty, Jay H. Lehr, Helen Sedoris, David M. Nielsen, Jane E. Denne, HANDBOOK of SUGGESTED PRACTICES for the DESIGN and INSTALLATION of GROUND WATER MONITORING WELLS [PDF] (1991), EPA160014-8910345 Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
  Office of Research and Development U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-3478
• Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791 The hotline operates from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (EST) The hotline can be accessed on the Internet at www.epa.gov/safewater/hotline/index.html

  You can get a list of Federal drinking water standards from the EPA website. In addition, the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water gives chemical and health risk information for a number of drinking water problems through its Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791.

  This information is also on the internet at www.epa.gov/safewater. If you do not have a computer, most public libraries offer internet access. Even though federal standards do not apply to household wells, you can use them as a guide to potential problems in your water. Be aware that many states have their own drinking water standards. Some are stricter than the federal rules. To get your state standards, contact your state drinking water program or local health department.

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture and EPA support a program to help farmers, ranchers and rural homeowners. Called Farm*A*Syst or Home*A*Syst, it helps identify and solve environmental problems, including protecting drinking water. Obtain a copy of the Home*A*Syst questionnaire/ checklist that can help you find possible threats to your water supply from:
• National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Program 303 Hiram Smith Hall 1545 Observatory Drive Madison, WI 53706 Ph: 608.262.0024, Fax: 608.265.2775 homeasys@uwex.edu
• For more information on current and future federal drinking water standards and for general information on drinking water topics and issues, contact the EPA at www.epa.gov/safewater
• U.S. EPA, DUG WELLS [PDF], U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, retrieved 2021/05/31 original source: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-11/documents/dugwell.pdf -
  
• U .S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20460
• USDA, WELL DESIGN & SPRING DEVELOPMENT, Chapter 31, Part 631, [PDF] (2010) National Engineering Handbook, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation service, retrieed 2022/05/29, original source: https://directives.sc.egov.usda.gov/OpenNonWebContent.aspx?content=26985.wba
• WELL CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE

Other U.S. sources of water well construction information include:

• ANSI / NGWA Water Well Construction Standard, (2014)
  HEADQUARTERS National Ground Water Association 601 Dempsey Rd. Westerville, OH 43081 USA 800 551.7379 (614 898.7791 outside the US) fax 614 898.7786 ngwa@ngwa.org
  or
  
  Customer Servicer at customerservice@ngwa.org 800 551.7379 (614 898.7791 outside the United States) 8 a.m.-5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday fax 614 898.7786 Payment address: NGWA 601 Dempsey Rd. Westerville, OH 43081
  available from the National Groundwater Association, Website: http://www.ngwa.org The topics covered by the NGWA’s third party-sanctioned standard include:
  • Well Casing and casing installation
  • Data recording
  • Disinfection with chlorine
  • Grouting
  • Permanent well and test-hole decommissioning
  • Plumbness and alignment
  • Testing for performance
  • Water sampling and analysis
  • Well development
  • Well site selection
  • Well screens, filter pack, and formation stabilizer.
• American Water Works Association www.awwa.org
• Ground Water Protection Council http://gwpc.site.net
• Local plumbers or well drillers in your area
• Local water testing laboratories in your area
• National Rural Water Association www.nrwa.org
• National Drinking Water Clearinghouse www.estd.wvu.edu/ndwc
• Neighbors who also have properties served by private wells and water systems
• North Carolina Wall Construction Standards (2009) - http://www.wakegov.com/water/wells/Documents/State2CRules.pdf
• Rural Community Assistance Program www.rcap.org
• U.S. Geological Survey water.usgs.gov
• U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service www.nrcs.usda.gov
• Water Systems Council www.watersystemscouncil.org

Information Sources for Drinking Water Well Construction in New Zealand

• "Secure Groundwater Bores and Wells for Safe Household Water", [PDF] Website: https://www.healthed.govt.nz/resource/secure-groundwater-bores-and-wells-safe-household-water

...

Continue reading at WELL CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

• HAND DUG WELLS - topic home
• HAND DUG WELL PROCEDURE
• SIX STEPS to WELL WATER SAFETY
• WATER PUMP LIFE EXPECTANCY
• WELL CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE - home
• WELL WATER CONTAMINATION: CAUSES, CURES - home
• WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS - home

Suggested citation for this web page

WELL CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION SOURCES at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER TESTING

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