U.S. Private Well Water Safety Directory
Over 43 million Americans rely on private wells for drinking water — with zero federal protection under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Unlike municipal tap water, your well is entirely your responsibility to test and treat.
Find your state’s well water risks, the contaminants most common in your region’s geology, what to test for, and which filtration solutions work best. From Michigan’s PFAS crisis to New England’s arsenic hotspots, well water safety varies dramatically by location.
Use our full water quality directory for municipal water reports, check our live boil water notice tracker for active advisories, or check your ZIP code for local water quality data.
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Northeast
Primary risks: Arsenic (bedrock geology) · Radon · Uranium · PFAS · ManganeseSoutheast
Primary risks: PFAS (military bases & industry) · Nitrate · Bacteria · ArsenicMidwest
Primary risks: Nitrate (agricultural runoff) · Bacteria · PFAS · Arsenic · AtrazineSouth
Primary risks: Nitrate · Bacteria · Arsenic · Radionuclides · PFASMountain & Plains
Primary risks: Arsenic (natural geology) · Uranium · Fluoride · Nitrate · SeleniumPacific & Northwest
Primary risks: Arsenic · Nitrate (agricultural) · Bacteria · Manganese · PFAS🧪 How to Test Your Well
The CDC recommends testing every spring at minimum. Test for bacteria, nitrate and pH annually — plus arsenic, lead and PFAS at least once. Find a certified lab through your state health department.
Full Testing Guide →☣️ Common Contaminants
Well water risks vary by region. Northeast wells face arsenic from bedrock. Midwest wells face nitrate from agriculture. Southeast wells face PFAS from industry and military bases. Know your region’s risks.
Contaminants Guide →🔧 Best Well Water Filters
Whole house well systems, UV bacteria treatment, reverse osmosis for PFAS and arsenic — matched to your specific contaminants. Trusted filter recommendations for every budget.
Filter Recommendations →Why Private Well Water Is Different
If your home uses a private well, the water flowing from your tap has never been tested by a government agency, treated by a utility, or checked against federal standards. The Safe Drinking Water Act — which governs municipal tap water quality across the US — explicitly excludes private wells from its protections.
That means contaminants can build up in your well water for years without anyone noticing. Unlike municipal systems which send annual Consumer Confidence Reports, private well owners receive no automatic notifications. Testing is entirely voluntary, and entirely your responsibility.
The EPA estimates approximately 1 in 5 private wells sampled contained at least one contaminant exceeding a human health benchmark. Many homeowners have no idea their water is affected. Check our live boil water tracker for active alerts in your area.
What Contaminates Well Water?
Well water contamination falls into two broad categories — naturally occurring and human-caused. Naturally occurring contaminants include arsenic leaching from granite bedrock (common across New England and the Southwest), radon from radioactive rock formations, and manganese from soil deposits.
Human-caused contamination includes nitrate from agricultural fertiliser runoff (a serious risk across the Midwest farm belt), bacteria from nearby septic systems, PFAS “forever chemicals” from industrial sites and military bases, and pesticides in heavily farmed regions.
The specific risks vary enormously by geography and local land use. Our contaminants guide and state pages cover the specific risks in your area. You can also use our ZIP code water checker or browse our water filter solutions for treatment options.
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Quality News About Your Water
Get the comprehensive water quality news coverage you need with our dedicated US Water News Service. From coast to coast, we deliver in-depth reporting and expert analysis on PFAS contamination, EPA regulatory changes, infrastructure developments, and emerging water safety issues affecting communities nationwide. While mainstream media only covers the biggest stories, we provide the detailed, ongoing coverage that helps you understand the full scope of America’s water challenges. Whether you’re a concerned citizen, water professional, or community leader, our daily updates and analytical insights keep you informed about the issues that matter most to public health and environmental safety.
What’s actually in your tap water? Enter your ZIP code for a full breakdown of contaminants detected in your local supply
Please read – our information
The information presented on cleanairandwater.net is compiled from official water quality reports, trusted news sources, government websites, and public health resources. While we strive for accuracy and thoroughness in our presentations, we are not scientists, engineers, or qualified water quality professionals.
Our mission is to present water quality information in an accessible, real-world format that helps people understand what’s in their water and make informed decisions about their health and safety. We believe that complex environmental information should be available to everyone in a format that’s easy to understand.
We make every effort to ensure our content is current and accurate, but we cannot guarantee that all information is complete or error-free. This website should not replace official communications from your local water utility or health department. We always recommend consulting official sources for the most up-to-date information regarding your specific water system.
Clean Air and Water is not liable for any unintentional errors, omissions, or outdated information. The content on this site is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice.
