2018 Conference

Individual Paper Presentation

In the United States, approximately 15 million people rely on private wells as their drinking water source. Although national estimates reveal that between 23-78% of private wells provide water that is potentially contaminated by pathogens, many wells are not routinely monitored. Private water systems fall within the jurisdiction of state and local governments, which impose a variety of monitoring or regulatory strategies. As participants in a national Center for Disease Control and Prevention program to reduce exposure to water-borne disease from private wells, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is collaborating with the Gaston County (North Carolina) Department of Health and Human Services— Environmental Health to implement a county-wide private well project to decrease health risk from the use of private wells. The aim of the project is to determine the magnitude and distribution of pathogenic well water contamination in Gaston County, and to use the findings to educate the community and implement programs that reduce health risk. Preliminary results reveal pathogenic contamination rates consistent with national estimates. We are now analyzing results to discern geographic and socio-demographic patterns of pathogenic contamination since such patterns may be helpful in determining local priorities for future private well intervention programs. We will discuss the techniques which successfully encourage resident participation, and obstacles to assessing private well water quality. These obstacles include hesitance by residents to provide government with property-related data and a lack of knowledge about the importance of routine well water monitoring and testing.