“Don’t Just Wish for Safe Water
– Test for It!”
For more information
Who can I contact to have my
well water tested?
4. Flush standing water from
pipes to reduce lead levels
State of Illinois
Pat Quinn, Governor
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Douglas P. Scott, Director
Illinois Department of Public Heath
Damon T. Arnold, M.D., M.P.H.
Testing Private
Well Water
Well water in Illinois rarely contains detectable
levels of lead. However, lead can enter drinking
water through decay of plumbing materials.
Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have
lead pipes, fixtures and solder. However, new
homes are also at risk: even legally “lead-free”
plumbing may contain up to 8 percent lead. The
most common problem is with brass or chrome-plated
brass faucets and fixtures. Exposure to
lead at levels above health standards can impair a
child’s development, as well as cause a variety of
other adverse health effects in both children and
adults.
To minimize your exposure to lead in drinking
water, never use water from the hot water tap for
drinking or cooking. Hot water is likely to con-tain
higher levels of lead. When using the cold
water tap, RUN THE WATER UNTIL IT GETS
COLD before using it for drinking or cooking.
This will flush out most of the lead that may have
accumulated in the plumbing. The only way to be
sure of the amount of lead in your household wa-ter
is to have it tested by a certified laboratory.
An abandoned well can pose a health and safety
hazard and become a potential route for ground-water
contamination if sealed improperly or not
sealed at all. Check with your local health depart-ment
to find out the legal requirements and the
importance of sealing abandoned wells.
Coliform bacteria and nitrate should be tested on a
yearly basis and can be done by most local health
departments. You can find a listing of local health
departments at: www.idph.state.il.us/local/. You can
also check the phone book for your local health de-partment.
Certified labs also test well water and may
be your only option for certain chemicals. A list of
certified labs and recommendations on treating con-taminated
well water are available at:
www.epa.state.il.us/well-water/.re information
For more information about water quality testing for
private wells, including information about certified
labs in Illinois, contact your local health department,
the Illinois Department of Public Health at 217-782-
5830 (e-mail: DPH.MAILUS@illinois.gov), the
Illinois EPA at 217-557-6474 (e-mail:
epa.safewater@illinois.gov), or go to:
www.epa.state.il.us/well-water/. Your local U of I
Extension Office, IL State Geological Survey and the
IL State Water Survey may also be of assistance to
you.
Illinois
Environmental
Protection Agency
Printed on recycled paper
Printed by authority of
the state of Illinois
#36245 July 09 300
Illinois
Environmental
Protection Agency
5. Properly seal abandoned
wells
Fl ush st
What you need to know 2. Test your well water every year
for nitrate, and always test your
water for nitrate before giving it
to an infant
3. Testing your well water for other
contaminants
Properly constructed and maintained water wells
can provide many years of trouble free service, but
wells can eventually deteriorate or become dam-aged
allowing surface contaminants to enter the
water. In addition, some groundwater can contain
one or more chemical substances at levels above
health based standards. In some cases, contamina-tion
of the water can be detected by sight, taste or
smell; however, many of the most serious problems
can only be detected through laboratory testing of
the water. Public water systems are tested regularly
for a variety of contaminants. However, if you have
a private well, regular testing is your responsibility.
Well construction inspection and improvements,
such as fixing a crack in a casing, are important
steps in keeping your well water safe. Here are
some other recommendations that you can follow:
Water that has become contaminated by human or
animal waste can transmit a variety of infectious
diseases, including dysentery, salmonellosis, hepa-titis,
and giardiasis. Symptoms vary, but nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea, with or without fever, are
most common. To assess bacterial safety, test for a
group of “indicator bacteria” called total coliform
bacteria in your well water. These bacteria do not
usually cause disease themselves, but their pres-ence
indicates that surface contamination has found
its way into the well and disease organisms may
also be present. When coliform bacteria are found
in well water, the water should be boiled before
being used for drinking and cooking and the well
should be disinfected.
Nitrate is a common contaminant in Illinois ground-water.
An elevated level of nitrate is often caused by
septic systems, manure storage areas, feedlots or farm
fields. Wells vulnerable to nitrate contamination in-clude
shallow sand point wells, large diameter dug or
bored wells, and wells with damaged, leaking casing
or fittings. Well water containing nitrate at levels
above the maximum contaminant level should never
be given to infants less than 6 months old because it
can cause a potentially fatal disease called “blue baby
syndrome.” In many cases, constructing a deeper well
can reduce or eliminate a nitrate problem. If you
know, or suspect, that your well water may contain
high levels of nitrate, DO NOT BOIL THE WATER,
as this will only concentrate nitrate levels.
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds, or “VOCs,” are com-mon
components of gasoline and other fuels, paints,
and solvents, such as cleaners and degreasers. Long-term
exposure to VOCs at levels greater than drink-ing
water standards may lead to impaired immune
system function, may cause liver damage, or may
increase the risk of cancer. If you live in an urban or
suburban area with business, industry or gas stations
nearby, IEPA and IDPH recommend that you have
your water tested for VOCs. Also, wells in rural areas
that may be affected by leaking fuel tanks should be
tested for VOCs. Ask your local health department
about the frequency of testing.
PESTICIDES
Research by state and federal agencies in Illi-nois
shows a low potential for finding pesti-cides
above levels of concern in groundwater as
a result of normal use on farm fields. However,
if pesticides have been mixed, loaded or stored
close to your well and you have a sand point
well or a large diameter dug or bored well, you
should consult with your local health depart-ment
to find out if you should test for those pes-ticides.
Long-term exposure to some pesticides
at levels above health standards may cause a
variety of health effects, including damage to
the liver, kidneys, adrenal gland or nervous sys-tems.
You can also contact your local Univer-sity
of Illinois Extension office for more infor-mation
on pesticide use.
RADIUM
This naturally occurring radioactive element is
found primarily in the northern third of Illinois
within the deep rocks, soil and groundwater.
Radium has been detected in private wells and
can only be identified through testing of the
water. Long-term exposure to radium at levels
above health standards may increase the risk of
bone cancer, leukemia, aplastic anemia and
lymphoma.
ARSENIC
This metal is naturally occurring and can also
be found in some industrial waste material. Illi-nois
has a band of arsenic that runs roughly
from northwest to southeast and has been de-tected
in public and private water systems at
levels exceeding health based standards. Long-term
exposure to arsenic at levels above health
standards may increase the risk of several types
of cancer.
1. Test your well water at least
once a year for bacteria
