How many Maine homes are on private wells?

About half of Maine households draw drinking water from a private well, one of the highest shares of any state per the Maine Geological Survey. Private wells are unregulated, so testing and treatment are entirely the owner’s responsibility.

What should I test my Maine well for?

Maine CDC recommends testing every year for coliform bacteria and nitrates, and every three to five years for arsenic, uranium, radon, and fluoride. Those four occur naturally in Maine bedrock and have no taste, smell, or color.

Is arsenic really common in Maine wells?

Yes. Roughly one in 10 Maine wells exceeds the federal arsenic standard statewide, and the rate is far higher in hotspots: about three in 10 tested wells in Kennebec County. The only way to know your number is a lab test.

What does this site cost to use?

Nothing. Down East Well Water is free for homeowners. We are paid a referral fee by the professional we match you with, and that fee never raises the price you pay. The arrangement is spelled out on the how-we-make-money page.

For Maine private well owners

Your well is your responsibility. The numbers make it manageable.

About half of Maine households drink from a private well, and Maine bedrock carries problems you cannot taste: arsenic, radon, uranium. Nobody inspects a private well for you. This site explains what to test, how to read the result, and what treatment honestly costs, with every claim cited to Maine CDC, USGS, or the state lab.

When you want the work done, we connect you free with an independent local testing or treatment professional. Test first, treat second.

Get matched with a pro Start with testing

What a Maine result can look like

Illustrative values against Maine guidelines. Your water needs its own test.

Analyte	Sample	Guideline
Arsenic	23 ug/L	10 ug/L
Radon (water)	6,800 pCi/L	4,000 pCi/L
Uranium	12 ug/L	30 ug/L
Coliform	Absent	Absent

Two of four flagged. Common in Maine bedrock country, and fixable: see arsenic and radon treatment.

Why Maine wells are their own subject

The problems in Maine well water are geological, which means they are local, predictable, and invisible. Three facts set the agenda:

1 in 10

Maine wells exceed the federal arsenic standard statewide per USGS, and hotspot towns run far higher: 29 percent of tested wells in Kennebec County, 62 percent in the town of Manchester. See the arsenic data page.

4,000 pCi/L

Maine's guideline for radon in well water. In the greater Augusta area, 29 percent of tested bedrock wells exceeded it in a peer-reviewed USGS-linked study. Radon in water vents into indoor air. How treatment works.

Every 3 to 5 years

The Maine CDC testing cadence for arsenic, uranium, radon, and fluoride, plus bacteria and nitrates yearly. Most owners are behind. The full checklist.

The order of operations

Test

A certified lab test, through the state lab in Augusta or an accredited private lab, tells you what is actually in the water. Kits cost less than guessing ever does.
Read the result

Numbers against Maine guidelines decide everything: which technology, sized how large, at the tap or the whole house. Our results explainer walks each line.
Treat what the test found

An independent local professional quotes a system matched to the result. We make that introduction free, and the referral fee never touches your price.

The Maine problems, each with its own page

Arsenic
The flagship Maine contaminant, straight from the bedrock.
Radon in water
Vents from tap water into household air.
Iron and manganese
Stains, flecks, and taste. The everyday complaint.
PFAS
Maine's 20 ppt standard, free state testing where it applies, and certified treatment.
Bacteria and UV
Coliform hits and what actually fixes them.
Whole-house systems
When one well has several problems at once.

Buying or selling? The home-purchase guide covers what to test before closing. Regional patterns live on the service area pages, from Portland to Aroostook.

Ready for a real quote?

Tell us your town and what the water is doing. We connect you with an independent Maine professional who tests or treats wells for a living. If you already have a lab report, you are one conversation away from a sized, priced fix.

We are a matching service, not a contractor, and the how and why of that is on the how we make money page.

Questions Maine well owners ask

How many Maine homes are on private wells?: About half of Maine households draw drinking water from a private well, one of the highest shares of any state per the Maine Geological Survey. Private wells are unregulated, so testing and treatment are entirely the owner’s responsibility.
What should I test my Maine well for?: Maine CDC recommends testing every year for coliform bacteria and nitrates, and every three to five years for arsenic, uranium, radon, and fluoride. Those four occur naturally in Maine bedrock and have no taste, smell, or color.
Is arsenic really common in Maine wells?: Yes. Roughly one in 10 Maine wells exceeds the federal arsenic standard statewide, and the rate is far higher in hotspots: about three in 10 tested wells in Kennebec County. The only way to know your number is a lab test.
What does this site cost to use?: Nothing. Down East Well Water is free for homeowners. We are paid a referral fee by the professional we match you with, and that fee never raises the price you pay. The arrangement is spelled out on the how-we-make-money page.