Well Water Nerd

Well water in Chesterville, Maine

In Chesterville, 10% of 63 private wells tested had uranium above the Maine guideline (30 ug/L), according to Maine CDC.

93 private wells tested in state summaries; 2 individual samples from 2 wells, 1982. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.

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
Uranium6310%30 ug/L
Fluoride939%2 mg/L
Arsenic774%10 ug/L
Manganese804%300 ug/L
Nitrate871%10 mg/L
Nitrite870%1 mg/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Chesterville who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were uranium (10% of 63 wells), fluoride (9% of 93 wells), and arsenic (4% of 77 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 Chesterville

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)2 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
  • PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
  • Uranium10% of 63 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Fluoride9% of 93 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Arsenic4% of 77 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Manganese4% of 80 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Nitrate1% of 87 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
  • ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.

Wells in Chesterville

213 domestic wells in Chesterville are on record with the state since 1970. 99% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 291 feet deep (one in ten goes past 430 feet).

In a typical Chesterville well, bedrock starts about 25 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.

21
1970s
22
1980s
14
1990s
62
2000s
52
2010s
34
2020s

Contamination sources on record in Chesterville

Maine DEP records 2 leaking underground storage tank sites and 1 unlined landfill in Chesterville, among 4 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
other remediation project

Treatment that fits the local profile

Uranium
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange; Whole-house anion exchange
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 Chesterville

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?

The test is free and there is no obligation. Your details go only to the company named above, and we log the time and address of this request.

Common questions

How deep are wells in Chesterville?

The typical domestic well in Chesterville is 291 feet deep, based on 213 wells reported to the state since 1970. One in ten is deeper than 430 feet. 99% are drilled into bedrock.

How often should I test a private well in Chesterville?

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: 5 samples in Chesterville. 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 Chesterville, up to 93 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: 214 well records in Chesterville, 213 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: 4 regulated sites located in Chesterville. 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.