NHDES Private Well Initiative

1. NHDES Private Well Initiative Paul Susca Drinking Water and Groundwater Bureau June 20, 2013

2. Private Wells and Public Health • Water supply for N.H. residents • <60% Public water systems • >40% Private wells • Testing is not required except by a few towns, and typically only for new construction • Testing often does not include important contaminants • Contaminants such as Arsenic and Radon present at unhealthy levels in many wells

3. Private Wells - Opportunity • Water supply for N.H. residents • <60% Public water systems – 3,000 sources • >40% Private wells – 250,000 wells! • New Hampshire second only to Maine • DES and others in New Hampshire researching health effects and promoting testing • Private wells getting national attention • How can DES and LANH work together?

4. Private Well Testing in N.H.Untapped Market? Graph shows number of PWS samples/year July 2011 – June 2013 (avg of two years) compared to potential market if all private wells were tested once every 10 years.

5. Brief Review of DES Private Well Initiative • Outreach (2000 – present) • Private Well Working Group 2007-2009 • Legislation 2009-2010 • Since 2010 • Dartmouth Toxic Metals Program • NH Pediatric Society • NH child care providers (day care) • NH Building Officials Association – “potable” def.

6. . . . and other private well work in New Hampshire/New England • New England bladder cancer study (Dartmouth & USGS, 2006): private well use increases risk • 2006 Arsenic biomonitoring study (NHPHL): more than half with As > MCL did not take measures to reduce exposure • USGS arsenic model (2012): 20-30% of PWs in NH have >10 ppb As (MCL)

7. Estimated Percentages of Private Wells in NH Exceeding Drinking Water Standards PARAMETER AND MCL - S MCL PRIVATE BEDROCK 1 ( unless stated otherwise ) W ELLS EXCEEDING STANDARD Primary Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) 2 Arsenic (10 ug/L) 20% 3 Bacteria ( present/ absent ) 19% 3 Copper (1.3 mg /L) - EPA Action Level 1 % 3 Lead ( 0.015 ug/L ) - EP A Action Level 2% 4 Nitrate (10 mg /L) 0.3% 4 Gross alpha (15 pCi/L) 4% 4 Radon (4,000 pCi/L ) - proposed federal Alternative MCL 33% 4 Radon (300 pCi/L) - proposed federal MCL 95% 5 Radon (2,000 pCi/L) - NHDES reco mmended action level 55 % 4, 6 Radium (5 pCi/L) 4% 4 Uranium (30 ug/L) 6% Secondary Maximum Contaminant Limit (SMCLs) 3 Chloride (250 mg/L) 3% 7 , 8 Iron (0.30 mg/L) 31% 8 Hardness (121 mg/L ) - not an SMCL 11% 7, 8 Manganese (0.05 mg/L) 40% Health-Based Aesthetic 3 Sodium ( 250 mg/L) 1% NOTES Ninety - eight ( 98 ) percent of all new wells in New Hampshire are bedrock wells. T wo p ercent 1 are “overburden” wells dug, driven, or drilled into unconsolidated soil and rock overlying bedrock . It is DES’ experience that o verburden wells are more vulnerable to bacteria, nitrates , iron , manganese and chl orid e contamination. (B. Lucey, 2009) Approximately 20 percent of 353 private bedrock wells sampled for arsenic in Hillsborough, 2 Rockingham , and Strafford count ies ( which include 75% of the state’s population ) exceeded the MCL . (U.S. G eological Survey Fact Sheet 051 - 03 ) The percentage s of wells exceeding the arsenic MCL reported in othe r USGS studies suggest that arsenic concentrations in private wells vary statewide ; however , the percentage s of private wells exceeding the MCL in other counties is not known . According to p ersonal communication from Keith Robinson, USGS (7/14/2009) “ A n estimated 20 percent of wells in the state have arsenic above the drinking water criteria; in some areas it is as high as one in 2 wells." Percentages are derived from recent DES lab data for private wells (samples taken between 3 4/2/06 – 10/24/08): bac teria (N= 6 , 196 ), chloride (N=4,757) copper (N=3,331 , flushed samples ), lead (N=3,420 , flushed samples ) and sodium (N=3,323). Lead and copper sample results do not include “stagnant” sample s that under certain conditions (e.g. corrosive water ) would significantly increase the percentage of wells exceeding the action level. For community water systems, EPA Action Levels for Lead and Copper must be met in at least 90 percent of sampling points, which are selected to represent locations most likely to h ave high levels of those contaminants. Bacteria contamination is usually related to poor well construction and/or maintenance .

9. Source: Joshua Hamilton, Marine Biological Laboratory

10. 2009 DES Private Well Working Group Recommendations • Improve public education • Amend the state building code to clearly define potable water • Require testing and disclosure of test results to buyers during real estate transfers.

11. Private Wells – National Attention • American Academy of Pediatrics • Policy recommendations (2009) • Currently reviewing Bright Futures protocol • Centers for Disease Control & Prevention • National Private Well Initiative • Funding research & “interventions” on state level

12. Private Well TestingAAP Recommendations (2009) • States – require testing at sale of home • Local governments • Provide info about local GW conditions, recommendations for testing • Tests should be convenient, free or inexpensive • Pediatricians • Ask patients about private well use • Recommend testing according to algorithm American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Environmental Health and Committee on Infectious Diseases (2009). Drinking Water From Private Wells and Risks to Children. Pediatrics 2009;123;1599-1605.

14. Bright Futures RecommendationRegarding Testing for Fluoride

15. Municipalities That Require Private Well Testing • Bow, Derry, Pelham, Salem, Windham • Require testing to receive a CO (Bow) • Cite RSA 147:1 Public Health Authority • Refer to DES’s Standard Analysis (tests) • Most require water quality testing (w/o treatment) vs. treatment • Bow, Derry, Pelham, Salem, Windham • Defining “potable” could change that

18. How to Interpret Results? • Fact sheet for each contaminant on DES web site (“NHDES drinking water fact sheet”)

19. Radon • Confusing - no single standard • 95% of wells exceed 300 pCi/L (pMCL) • 55% exceed 2,000 (DES RAL) • 33% exceed 4,000 (pAMCL) • “Leads to the deaths of an estimated 100 residents each year in N.H.” • Preventable thru testing & mitigation • DES: Test air and water. • Treatment: aeration, activated carbon

20. NHDES Messaging • 40% of NH residents rely on private wells • No statewide testing requirements • Natural contaminants commonly occur at unhealthy levels, esp. As and Rn • Test according to guidelines in our flyer • Everyone should test • Visit our website or call for list of labs

21. Barriers? • Lack of knowledge about how to test and what to test for • Complacency • Inconvenience • Lack of a perceived problem • “Knowledge and better information by themselves were found to provide a weak basis for changing behavior.” Imgrund, et. al. (2011)

22. Town-Wide Voluntary Well Testing • Hollis • Dublin • Tuftonboro (2012, 2013?) – Conservation Commission

23. NHDES Proposed Project • Applied for CDC funding in May 2013 • Part of National Private Well Initiative • Project Outline • Obtain info on testing, treatment, barriers • Estimate exposure & health effects • Community-wide testing events • Web “portal” for info on well testing & quality • Web-based tool for choosing treatment • Measure impact on testing, etc. (partnering with LANH)

24. Last Words: Good News • Large untapped market • Several respected organizations involved – raising profile of the issue • CDC has taken notice, is providing funding • Scientific case for testing getting stronger • Statewide guidance on “potable” could help boost testing • NHDES is not giving up