Well owners urged to test water quality after arsenic, uranium detected

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    HARTFORD, Connecticut (WFSB) — Connecticut public health officials are urging private well owners to test their water quality.

This comes after a new report put out by the U.S. Geological Survey showed high levels of naturally occurring arsenic and uranium in some wells.

“The research, undertaken in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, projects that approximately 3.9% of private wells across Connecticut contain water with arsenic at concentrations higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum contaminant level for public drinking-water supplies. This research also projects that 4.7% of private wells in the state have uranium concentrations higher than the EPA’s standards,” a press release said.

Arsenic and uranium are naturally occurring metals found in bedrock.

Expert said wells that are sometimes drilled into “bedrock aquifers can produce water containing arsenic or uranium. Unless wells are tested, there’s no way to confirm the presence or absence of these contaminants.”

The press release said an estimated 23 percent of Connecticut residents have private wells for their water supply.

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