Well water in Dixfield, Maine
In Dixfield, none of 39 private wells tested had nitrate above the Maine guideline (10 mg/L), according to Maine CDC.
39 private wells tested in state summaries; 11 individual samples from 11 wells, 1979 to 2026. 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, 9% of 11 PFOS results in Dixfield were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L. In that targeted sampling, 0% of 11 PFOA results in Dixfield 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.
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Dixfield. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFOS 2024 to 2026 | 11 | 27% | 9% | 0 | 5.28 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFOA 2024 to 2026 | 11 | 55% | 0% | 0.33 | 2.93 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFNA 2024 to 2026 | 11 | 9% | 0% | 0 | 0.905 | 10 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFHxS 2024 to 2026 | 11 | 18% | 0% | 0 | 0.551 | 10 ng/L EPA limit |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Nitrate (1), Iron (1), Chloride (1).
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What this means
Among homeowners in Dixfield who sent a sample to the state lab, no health-based limit was exceeded often enough to publish a share. That is good news, but a single well can still be the exception.
What to test for in Dixfield
- PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)1 unlined landfill on record locally.
- Metals panel1 hazardous waste site on record locally.
- PFOS9% of 11 local samples were above the limit.
- Manganese3% of 29 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- IronDetected in 100% of local samples.
- ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- NitrateRecommended for every private well, especially near farms or septic systems.
Wells in Dixfield
132 domestic wells in Dixfield are on record with the state since 1985. 100% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 260 feet deep (one in ten goes past 439 feet).
In a typical Dixfield well, bedrock starts about 17 feet down, the median yield is 6 gallons per minute, 27% 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 Dixfield
Maine DEP records 1 unlined landfill and 1 hazardous waste site in Dixfield, 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.
- 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
- PFOS
- Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
- Iron
- Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
- Chloride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Dixfield?
The typical domestic well in Dixfield is 260 feet deep, based on 132 wells reported to the state since 1985. One in ten is deeper than 439 feet. 100% are drilled into bedrock.
How often should I test a private well in Dixfield?
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
- Maine DEP PFAS investigation: 44 samples in Dixfield. PFAS results for private wells sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 3 samples in Dixfield. 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 Dixfield, up to 39 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: 136 well records in Dixfield, 132 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 Dixfield. 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.