Question 1

What is the purpose of the Idaho Ground Water Quality map?

Accepted Answer

The interactive map of ground water quality conditions for Idaho's private wells is intended to make private well owners aware of existing group water quality data. Well water quality data include sampling results for up to nine chemicals, sampling year, sampling agency, and well depth (if known).Ground water quality at privately owned wells is not regulated by the State of Idaho. Private well owners are responsible for maintaining their well and ensuring the water is safe to drink, whcih can be accomplished through preiodic testing.

Question 2

What is displayed on the Idaho Ground Water Quality Map?

Accepted Answer

Private wells displayed on the map were sampled by the  Idaho Department of Water Resources , the  Idaho Department of Environmental Quality , the  Idaho State Department of Agriculture , and  private well owners  between 2004-2020. Each well contains the most recent sampling results for up to nine chemicals, the year it was sampled, the sampling agency, and the well depth if it is known.Agencies may have additional data that has not been included as part of this map. Additionally, more recent data may exist for certain chemicals that were unavailable at the time this map was published. Contact the individual sampling agencies for more information.

Question 3

How can I test the water quality of my private well?

Accepted Answer

Water samples can be taken by homeowners and submitted to a laboratory for testing. Click here for a list of  Idaho-certified laboratories . The laboratory, your  DEQ regional office , or  public health district  can tell you how to obtain the necessary sample containers, how to take the sample, and how quickly you must get the sample to the laboratory. If you do not want to take the samples yourself, an environmental consultant can conduct the sampling for you.For more information about ground water sampling visit the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare's  Well Water Safety  page.

Question 4

How can I contribute to the data on the Idaho Ground Water Quality map?

Accepted Answer

Private well owners utilizing the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories (IBL) as their testing laboratory have the opportunity to participate in citizen science by allowing their results to be displayed publicly on this map. Citizen science is the voluntary involvement of the public in scientific research, in this case data collection. This work helps professional scientists and other private well owners to better understand ground water quality in Idaho. If you own a private well, consider becoming a citizen scientists by granting permission on IBL’s  submission form  to display your tests results on this map. There are more than 3,000 wells displayed on the map currently. Note data collected by citizen scientists may not have been collected under a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), a written document that outlines the procedures a monitoring project will use to ensure the samples collected are of high enough quality to meet project needs. Using a QAPP is not required to display your results, but resources are available online. Click  here  for more information.

Question 5

Where can I access data on ground water that isn't included on the Idaho Ground Water Quality Map?

Accepted Answer

For access to all ground water quality data collected by the State of Idaho, visit Idaho’s  Environmental Data Management System . To access IDWR Statewide Monitoring Network results, visit their  Ground Water Portal .To access drinking water data collected by public water systems, visit  DEQ's Drinking Water Watch .If you get drinking water from a public water system, visit  DEQ's Source Water Assessment Database  to learn more about the susceptibility of the system to contamination.

Question 6

Who do I contact if I have questions about my group water quality?

Accepted Answer

If you are a private well owner with questions about ground water quality, call or email IDHW's Environmental Health Hotline at 1-800-445-8647 or  eh@dhw.idaho.gov .

Idaho Ground Water Quality

Click here to return to