Keeping your well water well

Published October 2007. A more recent revision exists. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogGenerally, the groundwater pumped from wells is safe to drink. As water moves through layers of soil to reach the underground aquifer, disease-causing organisms such as bacteria and viruses are filtered out or eaten\ud by tiny soil animals. Many harmful chemicals also are broken down in the soil before they reach the groundwater that supplies your drinking water. Exceptions occur when:\ud • Wells were not properly constructed or maintained.\ud • Wells indirectly draw water from surface water sources.\ud • Wells use the water table aquifer in areas where there has been a chemical spill, a large number of septic systems, or intensive agriculture