Slightly more than half of Maine residents are served by a public water district, the rest depend on private wells for their household water.
Private Well Owners
- Do not dump foreign water in your well. The added water could contaminate your well with bacteria, viruses, heavy metals or stir up sediment resulting in illness and the water will likely leak out in a short period of time.
- Disperse water usage throughout the day to allow for groundwater recharge.
- Conserve water in your daily routine. Do not cut back on drinking water.
- Visit the Division of Environmental Health's Well Water Quality webpage for more links for private well owners.
- The Water Systems Council is a non-profit organization focused on private wells, and operates the wellcare Hotline, a free service that can answer questions on wells and well water.
If your well runs dry
- Contact a well driller to discuss options. Options include well replacement, or lowering an existing well pump deeper into the water table.
- For informational guidance on licensed well diggers in Maine, go to the Well Driller's Commission webpage.
- The following resources may be available to qualifying homeowners:
Maine Emergency Management Agency is not responsible for these programs. Please contact them directly.
Public Water Supply
- Save water when requested by the water utility. This will lessen the chance for subsequent mandatory water restrictions.
- Conserve water in your daily routine. Do not cut back on drinking water.
- Check your home for leaks.
- Take voluntary and mandatory water conservation messages seriously
Additional Information
The Maine CDC Drinking Water Program has a great fact sheet on Preparing, Responding and Recovering from a Drought.