Locating and Monitoring Private Domestic Wells to Improve Public Health

Private domestic wells are a source of drinking water for 15 percent of the US population. These water sources have little to no water quality monitoring but potentially significant health impacts. An approach has been developed to improve methods for estimating areas with high reliance on private domestic water wells, from a national to local scale. To address the potential for point source contamination, a GID application has been developed to relate sources to receptors. Additionally, a pilot is being developed to crowdsource data using citizen science to: monitor water quality in wells, including the use of sensors; input data in a geospatial platform; assess potential sources of contamination; develop recommendations to limit well contamination. This will provide useful temporal and spatial data on localized and watershed-level impacts to this drinking water source. The data will not only assist homeowners in protecting their water supply but also provide key data for local, state, and federal agencies in improving watershed management and public health.