Well water in Androscoggin County, Maine
In Androscoggin County, 15% of 1,293 private wells tested had arsenic above the Maine guideline (10 ug/L), according to Maine CDC.
1,582 private wells tested in state summaries; 215 individual samples from 215 wells, 1964 to 2025. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.
Maine DEP samples private wells near fields where sludge or septage was spread and near other known PFAS sources, and resamples detections. PFAS shares describe wells that were tested for a reason, not every well in the area. In that targeted sampling, 6% of 215 PFOS results in Androscoggin County were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L. In that targeted sampling, 5% of 215 PFOA results in Androscoggin County were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L.
What homeowner tests found
Maine Tracking Network private well summaries: private wells tested and reported to the state. Shares are against the level the state applies to each contaminant, named in the last column; several are stricter than EPA. County and state figures combine the town summaries, weighted by wells tested; medians are not combined.
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Androscoggin County. Above limit means above the EPA maximum contaminant level; where EPA has no enforceable limit, the row shows a health guideline or nuisance level instead.
| Contaminant | Samples | Detected | Above limit | Median | Highest | Limit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic 1977 to 2023 | 33 | 91% | 36% | 2.7 | 190 | 10 ug/L EPA limit | |
| Uranium 1999 to 2023 | 18 | 94% | 17% | 1.86 | 490 | 30 ug/L EPA limit | |
| PFOS 2019 to 2025 | 215 | 35% | 6% | 0 | 64.1 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| Nitrate 1964 to 2023 | 57 | 70% | 5% | 0.09 | 122 | 10 mg/L EPA limit | |
| PFOA 2019 to 2025 | 215 | 47% | 5% | 0 | 13.7 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFHxS 2019 to 2025 | 215 | 22% | <1% | 0 | 19.7 | 10 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFNA 2019 to 2025 | 214 | 4% | 0% | 0 | 2.85 | 10 ng/L EPA limit | |
| Copper 1977 to 2023 | 16 | 50% | 0% | 0 | 0.02 | 1.3 mg/L EPA limit | |
| Radium (226 + 228) 1999 to 2014 | 10 | 100% | 0% | 0 | 0.47 | 5 pCi/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1964 to 2023 | 60 | 98% | no limit | 3.56 | 140 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Fluoride (8), E. coli (7), Lead (4), Manganese (8), Radon (6), Iron (3), Sodium (2).
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What this means
Among homeowners in Androscoggin County who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (15% of 1,293 wells), uranium (14% of 1,016 wells), and fluoride (2% of 1,582 wells). These are ordinary wells tested by their owners, so the shares are the best available picture of a typical well here, with one caveat: people test more often when they suspect a problem.
What to test for in Androscoggin County
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)84 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS22 unlined landfills on record locally.
- Metals panel41 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- PFOS6% of 215 local samples were above the limit.
- PFOA5% of 215 local samples were above the limit.
- Fluoride2% of 1,582 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Manganese2% of 1,190 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- PFHxS<1% of 215 local samples were above the limit.
- Nitrite<1% of 1,542 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
Wells in Androscoggin County
6,186 domestic wells in Androscoggin County are on record with the state since 1970. 95% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 300 feet deep (one in ten goes past 512 feet).
In a typical Androscoggin County well, bedrock starts about 19 feet down, the median yield is 6 gallons per minute, 26% of wells yield under 3 gallons per minute and usually need a storage tank.
Bedrock wells are where arsenic, uranium and radon come from: the water sits in fractures in granite and metamorphic rock and picks up whatever the rock carries. That is why testing for those three matters more here than in a dug or gravel well.
Contamination sources on record in Androscoggin County
Maine DEP records 84 leaking underground storage tank sites, 22 unlined landfills, and 41 hazardous waste sites in Androscoggin County, among 317 regulated sites in total. Groundwater does not follow property lines, so a well within a few hundred feet of one of these is worth testing for what that site could release.
- 84
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 22
- unlined landfillsOlder unlined landfills are a leading source of PFAS, VOCs and metals in nearby wells.
- 41
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 170
- other remediation projects
Treatment that fits the local profile
- Arsenic
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
- Uranium
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Whole-house anion exchange
- PFOS
- Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
- Nitrate
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Distillation
- PFOA
- Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
Book a free water test in Androscoggin County
A licensed local water treatment company tests your tap water in your home, walks you through the numbers, and quotes treatment only if something needs fixing. Free, about 30 minutes, no obligation.
Common questions
How deep are wells in Androscoggin County?
The typical domestic well in Androscoggin County is 300 feet deep, based on 6,186 wells reported to the state since 1970. One in ten is deeper than 512 feet. 95% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Androscoggin County?
Arsenic was detected in 91% of 33 public well samples in Androscoggin County, and 36% were above the EPA limit of 10 ug/L. Arsenic has no taste or smell; a lab test is the only way to know your level.
How high is radon in well water in Androscoggin County?
The median radon level across 6 public samples in Androscoggin County was 2,720 pCi/L, with a high of 38,600 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Androscoggin County?
Test for bacteria and nitrate every year. Test once for arsenic, uranium, radon, fluoride, manganese and PFAS, then again every three to five years or after any change in taste, color, or plumbing.
Towns in Androscoggin County
Sources
- Maine DEP PFAS investigation: 859 samples in Androscoggin County. PFAS results for private wells sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 232 samples in Androscoggin County. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- Maine Tracking Network private well summaries: summaries for 6 contaminants in Androscoggin County, up to 1,582 wells each. Town summaries of private well tests run by the Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory, published by Maine CDC through the Maine Tracking Network. Shares are against Maine's guideline for each analyte (arsenic 10 ug/L, uranium 30 ug/L, fluoride 2 mg/L, manganese 0.3 mg/L, nitrate 10 mg/L, nitrite 1 mg/L). Towns with too few tests are suppressed (NR). Only the share above the guideline and wells tested are published; no medians. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- Maine Geological Survey well database: 6,655 well records in Androscoggin County, 6,186 domestic. Well construction records reported to the Maine Geological Survey by licensed well drillers. Only aggregates are shown; owner names and addresses are never stored. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- Maine DEP regulated sites: 317 regulated sites located in Androscoggin County. Remediation sites, leaking underground storage tanks and closed municipal landfills from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
Non-detects count as samples and are treated as zero when computing medians. Exactly at the limit counts as not above it. A sample belongs to the town containing the well's reported coordinates.