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Private Wells

Guidance, Water Quality & Testing, and Other Resources for Private Wells

Private wells typically provide water to single family homes. MassDEP does not regulate private wells. Your local board of health or health department regulates them. We provide these resources to help well owners learn about proper practices for safe water.

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Top tasks

A guide to water quality testing for private wells  Find a MassDEP-certified laboratory 

What you need to know

Private well guidelines  What are private wells and who regulates them?  Is my water system public or private?  What's in my drinking water?   Arsenic in private well water FAQs  Using MassDEP Certified Laboratories for Private Drinking Water Testing  Understanding my laboratory results  For boards of health: templates for private-well forms  What to do if flooding contaminates your private well  Droughts and your private well  Point-of-entry (POE) and Point-of-use (POU) home water treatment  PFAS in Private Well Drinking Water Supplies FAQ  Arsenic & Uranium Bedrock Well Study  FAQS: Radionuclides  FAQs on arsenic and uranium in bedrock wells 

Contact Information

Online

List of Massachusetts Boards of Health 

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