Well water in Camden, Maine
In Camden, 34% of 47 private wells tested had arsenic above the Maine guideline (10 ug/L), according to Maine CDC.
57 private wells tested in state summaries; 6 individual samples from 3 wells, 2007 to 2024. 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.
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What this means
Among homeowners in Camden who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (34% of 47 wells) and uranium (12% of 33 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.
Manganese exceeds the state's advisory level in a sizable share of wells; this is mostly a taste, staining or diet issue rather than a toxicity one.
What to test for in Camden
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)3 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- Metals panel3 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Arsenic34% of 47 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Manganese13% of 39 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Uranium12% of 33 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- FluorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- IronDetected in 100% of local samples.
- NitrateRecommended for every private well, especially near farms or septic systems.
Wells in Camden
223 domestic wells in Camden are on record with the state since 1970. 99% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 220 feet deep (one in ten goes past 380 feet).
In a typical Camden well, bedrock starts about 20 feet down, the median yield is 10 gallons per minute, 9% 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 Camden
Maine DEP records 3 leaking underground storage tank sites and 3 hazardous waste sites in Camden, among 15 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.
- 3
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 3
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 9
- 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
- Manganese
- Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Fluoride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
- Iron
- Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
Book a free water test in Camden
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 Camden?
The typical domestic well in Camden is 220 feet deep, based on 223 wells reported to the state since 1970. One in ten is deeper than 380 feet. 99% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Camden?
Arsenic was detected in 100% of 6 public well samples in Camden, and 100% 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 often should I test a private well in Camden?
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: 15 samples in Camden. 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: 12 samples in Camden. 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 Camden, up to 57 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: 234 well records in Camden, 223 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: 15 regulated sites located in Camden. 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.