A Drop in the Bucket: North Carolina’s Neglected Water Problem - Private Well Water Contamination

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

North Carolina Civil Rights Law Review

Journal Abbreviation

N.C. Civ. Rts. L. Rev.

Abstract

In the U.S., 44.5 million people—about 14% of the current US population—obtain their drinking water from private wells. While the Safe Drinking Water Act protects those served by public water systems from unsafe levels of contamination in their water, there are few regulatory protections in place for private well users, leaving them susceptible to adverse effects from this contamination. This problem is particularly prevalent in North Carolina, which contains one of the largest populations of private well users out of all states and has few regulations addressing private well contamination. To examine private well contamination in North Carolina and offer solutions to this issue, we outline the scientific and social context of private well ownership in the state; discuss both federal and state drinking water regulations; and compare North Carolina’s private well regulations to those of New Jersey, a state noted in the literature for having strong private well policy relative to other areas of the U.S. Based on these findings, we recommend that 1) the Legislature create a tiered system of financial support to give all private well owners the option to test, maintain, and treat their wells; 2) the North Carolina General Assembly, administrative agencies, and local health departments increase coordination to improve education and outreach to well owners; and 3) the North Carolina General Assembly act to require lessors to periodically test wells and report results to current and prospective tenants. These actions will help provide all North Carolinians with the ability to access safe drinking water.

First Page

1

Last Page

60

Publication Date

Spring 2023

Comments

The page numbering in the recommended citation of this pre-publication version differs from the final published article.

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