Best Practices for Owners of Domestic Wells in Alluvial Aquifers

Publication year: 2026

Number of pages: 103

ISBN: 978-1-77470-144-7
https://doi.org/10.62592/HERS6814

Citation: Uhlman, K. (2026). Best Practices for Owners of Domestic Wells in Alluvial Aquifers. The Groundwater Project. https://doi.org/10.62592/HERS6814.

Author:

Kristine Uhlman: University of Arizona, USA

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Last Update: 11 February 2026
Released: 10 February 2026

Best Practices for Owners of Domestic Wells in Alluvial Aquifers

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Description

Household well owners are responsible for ensuring that their well water is safe to drink. This publication discusses common factors that affect well water quality and quantity, including common contaminants in well water, water testing methods, treatment options, well siting, and recommendations for protecting the quality of your well water. Sections within the text include water sources and aquifer characteristics, well operation and maintenance, how to increase your well yield, and the impact of drought on your well. Drinking water guidelines and standards list all known possible contaminants and pollutants, and the most common contaminants that will directly impact your health. Naturally occurring contaminants as well as environmental pollutants are included. Unique to this publication is an extensive chapter on water treatment options, with cut-away diagrams explaining how these systems work. An important component is a table of water problems, including symptoms, analytical tests, and possible sources.

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1 WELL EDUCATED

1.1 Aquifers and Wells

1.2 Your Well – Your Responsibility

1.3 Short List of Potential Contaminants in Well Water: Your Well and Your Health

1.3.1 Bacteria

1.3.2 Nitrates

1.3.3 Arsenic

1.3.4 Radon

1.3.5 More information

2 WHAT IS AN ALLUVIAL AQUIFER?

2.1 Alluvial Aquifer Characteristics and Water Movement to Wells

2.2 Alluvial Basins

2.3 Aquifer Recharge

2.3.1 Soil Type

2.3.2 Climate

2.3.3 Land Use

3 WELL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

3.1 Domestic Well Regulations

3.1.1 Well Records

3.1.2 Initial Well Disinfection

3.2 Well System Components

3.2.1 Well Casing

3.2.2 Sanitary Seal

3.2.3 Caps

3.2.4 Well Screens

3.2.5 Storage Tanks

3.3 Managing Shared Wells

3.4 Well System Failure

3.5 Well Maintenance Tips

4 WELL YIELD

4.1 Factors Causing Reduced Well Yield

4.2 How to Improve Well Yield

4.2.1 Shock Chlorination

4.2.2 Redevelopment

4.2.3 Hydraulic Fracturing

4.2.4 Carbon Dioxide

4.3 Managing Low Well Yield Caused by Drought

5 DRINKING WATER GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

5.1 Primary Drinking Water Standards

5.2 Secondary Drinking Water Standards

5.3 Common Chemical Constituents in Groundwater

5.3.1 Salt – Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

5.3.2 Arsenic

5.3.3 Nitrate

5.3.4 Lithium

5.3.5 Fluoride

5.3.6 Dissolved Iron and Manganese

5.3.7 Radioactive Elements

5.3.8 Radon Gas

5.3.9 Other Constituents

5.3.10 Hardness

5.3.11 Acidic or Alkaline Water: pH

5.3.12 Taste

5.4 Organic Matter

5.4.1 Rotten Eggs (Hydrogen Sulfide Odor)

5.4.2 Iron and Manganese Slime

5.5 Anthropogenic Contaminants

5.5.1 Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Other Industrial Solvents

5.5.2 MTBE and PFAS

5.5.3 Pathogens

5.5.4 Emerging Contaminants

6 TESTING WELL WATER QUALITY

6.1 Sampling Your Well Water

6.1.1 Water Analysis using a Certified Laboratory

6.1.2 Home Water Test Kits

6.2 Interpretating Water Analysis Results

7 WATER TREATMENT OPTIONS

7.1 Treatments

7.1.1 Particle Filtration

7.1.2 Activated Carbon

7.1.3 Reverse Osmosis (RO)

7.1.4 Water Softeners

7.1.5 Distillation

7.2 Chemical Filters

7.2.1 Alkaline Filters and Aeration

7.2.2 Iron Based Filters for Arsenic Removal

7.3 Disinfection Methods

7.3.1 Chlorination

7.3.2 UV Radiation

7.3.3 Other Disinfection Methods

7.4 Alternative Sources of Drinking Water

8 PROTECTING YOUR WELL WATER QUALITY

8.1 Well Installation and Maintenance

8.2 Wellhead Protection

8.3 Household Wastewater Management

8.4 Shock Chlorination of Water Wells

8.5 Plugging Abandoned Water Wells

9 EXERCISES

10 GLOSSARY

11 REFERENCES

12 BOXES

BOX 1 – USEPA Drinking Water Standards

Box 2 – Water Problems: Symptoms, Possible Causes, and Treatment Devices

13 EXERCISE SOLUTIONS

14 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

15 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Best Practices for Owners of Domestic Wells in Alluvial Aquifers

Best Practices for Owners of Domestic Wells in Alluvial Aquifers

Description

Sign up for our mailing list

Contents

1 WELL EDUCATED

1.1 Aquifers and Wells

1.2 Your Well – Your Responsibility

1.3 Short List of Potential Contaminants in Well Water: Your Well and Your Health

1.3.1 Bacteria

1.3.2 Nitrates

1.3.3 Arsenic

1.3.4 Radon

1.3.5 More information

2 WHAT IS AN ALLUVIAL AQUIFER?

2.1 Alluvial Aquifer Characteristics and Water Movement to Wells

2.2 Alluvial Basins

2.3 Aquifer Recharge

2.3.1 Soil Type

2.3.2 Climate

2.3.3 Land Use

3 WELL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

3.1 Domestic Well Regulations

3.1.1 Well Records

3.1.2 Initial Well Disinfection

3.2 Well System Components

3.2.1 Well Casing

3.2.2 Sanitary Seal

3.2.3 Caps

3.2.4 Well Screens

3.2.5 Storage Tanks

3.3 Managing Shared Wells

3.4 Well System Failure

3.5 Well Maintenance Tips

4 WELL YIELD

4.1 Factors Causing Reduced Well Yield

4.2 How to Improve Well Yield

4.2.1 Shock Chlorination

4.2.2 Redevelopment

4.2.3 Hydraulic Fracturing

4.2.4 Carbon Dioxide

4.3 Managing Low Well Yield Caused by Drought

5 DRINKING WATER GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

5.1 Primary Drinking Water Standards

5.2 Secondary Drinking Water Standards

5.3 Common Chemical Constituents in Groundwater

5.3.1 Salt – Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

5.3.2 Arsenic

5.3.3 Nitrate

5.3.4 Lithium

5.3.5 Fluoride

5.3.6 Dissolved Iron and Manganese

5.3.7 Radioactive Elements

5.3.8 Radon Gas

5.3.9 Other Constituents

5.3.10 Hardness

5.3.11 Acidic or Alkaline Water: pH

5.3.12 Taste

5.4 Organic Matter

5.4.1 Rotten Eggs (Hydrogen Sulfide Odor)

5.4.2 Iron and Manganese Slime

5.5 Anthropogenic Contaminants

5.5.1 Trichloroethylene (TCE) and Other Industrial Solvents

5.5.2 MTBE and PFAS

5.5.3 Pathogens

5.5.4 Emerging Contaminants

6 TESTING WELL WATER QUALITY

6.1 Sampling Your Well Water

6.1.1 Water Analysis using a Certified Laboratory

6.1.2 Home Water Test Kits

6.2 Interpretating Water Analysis Results

7 WATER TREATMENT OPTIONS

7.1 Treatments

7.1.1 Particle Filtration

7.1.2 Activated Carbon

7.1.3 Reverse Osmosis (RO)

7.1.4 Water Softeners

7.1.5 Distillation

7.2 Chemical Filters

7.2.1 Alkaline Filters and Aeration