Well Water Nerd

Well water in Livermore, Maine

In Livermore, 4% of 53 private wells tested had uranium above the Maine guideline (30 ug/L), according to Maine CDC.

91 private wells tested in state summaries; 9 individual samples from 5 wells, 1979 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.

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.

ContaminantWells testedAbove state levelMedian95th pctHighestState level
Uranium534%30 ug/L
Manganese622%300 ug/L
Fluoride911%2 mg/L
Nitrate850%10 mg/L
Nitrite850%1 mg/L
Arsenic620%10 ug/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Livermore who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were uranium (4% of 53 wells) and fluoride (1% of 91 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 Livermore

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)2 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
  • PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
  • Metals panel1 hazardous waste site on record locally.
  • Uranium4% of 53 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Manganese2% of 62 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Fluoride1% of 91 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
  • RadonMedian local reading is 935 pCi/L.
  • NitrateAbove the limit in 1 of 9 local samples; too few to quote a rate.
  • ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.

Wells in Livermore

359 domestic wells in Livermore are on record with the state since 1970. 99% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 280 feet deep (one in ten goes past 460 feet).

In a typical Livermore well, bedrock starts about 24 feet down, the median yield is 5 gallons per minute, 29% 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.

39
1970s
30
1980s
14
1990s
75
2000s
68
2010s
74
2020s

Contamination sources on record in Livermore

Maine DEP records 2 leaking underground storage tank sites, 1 unlined landfill, and 1 hazardous waste site in Livermore, among 6 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.

2
leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
1
unlined landfillOlder unlined landfills are a leading source of PFAS, VOCs and metals in nearby wells.
1
hazardous waste siteSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
2
other remediation projects

Treatment that fits the local profile

Fluoride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
Chloride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
Manganese
Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis

Book a free water test in Livermore

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.

What are you worried about?

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Common questions

How deep are wells in Livermore?

The typical domestic well in Livermore is 280 feet deep, based on 359 wells reported to the state since 1970. One in ten is deeper than 460 feet. 99% are drilled into bedrock.

Is there arsenic in well water in Livermore?

Arsenic was detected in 67% of 6 public well samples in Livermore, and 0% 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 Livermore?

The median radon level across 2 public samples in Livermore was 935 pCi/L, with a high of 950 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Livermore?

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.

Sources

  • USGS Water Quality Portal: 47 samples in Livermore. 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 DEP PFAS investigation: 20 samples in Livermore. PFAS results for private wells sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
  • Maine Tracking Network private well summaries: summaries for 6 contaminants in Livermore, up to 91 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: 376 well records in Livermore, 359 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: 6 regulated sites located in Livermore. 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.