The Fontus Guide to Arsenic in Maine Wells
Did you know that according to Maine’s Division of Environmental and Community Health, 10% or 1 in 10 Maine wells contain arsenic?
And that’s just the state average. Depending on which county you live in, your chances of exceeding state safety guidelines for arsenic are even greater—27.9% of homes in Kennebec county do, 22.6% in York, 21.4% in Hancock, and 17.5% in Cumberland.
The problem with arsenic in well water
The presence of arsenic in drinking water can lead to serious health issues, depending on the concentration of arsenic and length of time ingesting it.
Risks and symptoms include:
- Some types of cancer, including skin, bladder, lung, and possibly liver and kidney cancer
- Lower IQ scores
- Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Bruising
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Numbness or “pins and needles” sensation in hands and feet
Keep testing your water supply
There’s no way around it, arsenic in well water is a health hazard. And because things like boiling your water won’t remove arsenic, it’s important to test your water supply. Because arsenic can leach into a water supply at any time, the Maine Center for Disease Control recommends testing every 3-5 years.
Unfortunately, not enough Mainers are testing their wells. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, less than half of Maine households test for arsenic. Read the Bangor Daily News story for more.
How much arsenic is too much?
Your water has too much arsenic in it, if your test result is above 10 ug/L or 0.01 mg/L.
Schedule a water test for arsenic with Fontus
If it’s time for you to test your well for arsenic, contact Fontus for a water test. We’ll test your water supply and walk you through the results.
If we find you have too much arsenic in your water supply, we’ll talk you through your options. If you decide you’d like Fontus to install a system that removes arsenic, we can do that, too.
At Fontus, we’re all about providing you with clean, pure water.
The Fontus Triple Test Promise
We want all our customers to feel 100% satisfied with our systems, so we’ve created the Fontus Triple Test Promise.
Test 1
We’ll test your home or business water supply for aesthetic issues, including hardness, iron, pH, etc. using an immediate-response test and make sure you understand all findings.
Test 2
If needed, we’ll also send a water sample to the Maine State Certified Laboratory to confirm any findings and test for bacteria, viruses, and hazardous chemicals.
Test 3
After your new system is in place, we’ll test your water supply again to make sure your problem is solved. It’s our way of helping you feel confident that your drinking water is safe and clean.
