New NHDES Online Tool Helps Well Owners Understand Their Water Sample Results

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has developed a new free tool, the Be Well Informed Guide, for interpreting private well water testing results. Although the tool was developed for residents of New Hampshire, it's available to anyone. The tool provides an evaluation of water samples, identifying results that are over the USEPA maximum contaminal level (MCL), and can also recommend possible treatment options based on the sample results provided. The Be Well Informed Guide evaluates the pollutants that are part of the “Standard Analysis,” which is the group of commonly found pollutants is listed in the NHDES Private Well Brochure.

How the Tool Works

With water testing results in hand, all you need to do is go to the site and enter results from a laboratory report. You will then receive an evaluation of well water quality and, if necessary, possible water treatment options.



We entered an arsenic result of 15ppb (the USEPA MCL is 10ppb) in the example below. The tool allows you to use common units, so it’s much less likely a well owner will put in the incorrect units from their lab report.


We didn’t put in any other results, just arsenic, and when we hit “Submit”, got the following screen:



This illustrates that the tool is quite robust. Often the appropriate treatment options for a single contaminant, like arsenic, can depend on the overall chemistry of the water. Here the tool asks for more information to give you the best suggestion. We hit “continue”, and went on to the results shown below.





Based on your results, the tool will tell you if the value you entered meets, exceeds, or is close to the (federal) drinking water limit for public water supplies. Along with a detailed interpretation of your results, the tool will also identify health concerns and offer potential treatment options.

Access the Be Well Informed Guide.

Be sure to read all of the information related to use of the site. Also, please remember that The Private Well Class recommends using tools like this for an initial understanding of your test results. You should always take your results to a qualified health professional, such as your county or state health department, for the best advice.