Well Water Nerd

Well water in Newry, Maine

In Newry, 7% of 31 private wells tested had uranium above the Maine guideline (30 ug/L), according to Maine CDC.

41 private wells tested in state summaries; 3 individual samples from 2 wells, 1979 to 2000. 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
Uranium317%30 ug/L
Manganese317%300 ug/L
Fluoride333%2 mg/L
Nitrate410%10 mg/L
Nitrite410%1 mg/L
Arsenic310%10 ug/L

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What this means

Among homeowners in Newry who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were uranium (7% of 31 wells) and fluoride (3% 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.

What to test for in Newry

  • Uranium7% of 31 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Manganese7% of 31 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Fluoride3% of 33 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
  • RadonMedian local reading is 102,000 pCi/L.
  • CopperDetected in 100% of local samples.
  • ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
  • NitrateRecommended for every private well, especially near farms or septic systems.

Wells in Newry

209 domestic wells in Newry are on record with the state since 1987. 92% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 421 feet deep (one in ten goes past 630 feet).

In a typical Newry well, bedrock starts about 15 feet down, the median yield is 4 gallons per minute, 32% 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.

44
2000s
48
2010s
109
2020s

Treatment that fits the local profile

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
Copper
Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis
Chloride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
Radon
Aeration (bubble-up or diffused) whole-house; Granular activated carbon whole-house (lower levels only)

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Common questions

How deep are wells in Newry?

The typical domestic well in Newry is 421 feet deep, based on 209 wells reported to the state since 1987. One in ten is deeper than 630 feet. 92% are drilled into bedrock.

Is there arsenic in well water in Newry?

Arsenic was detected in 0% of 1 public well samples in Newry, 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 Newry?

The median radon level across 1 public samples in Newry was 102,000 pCi/L, with a high of 102,000 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.

How often should I test a private well in Newry?

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: 12 samples in Newry. 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 Newry, up to 41 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: 220 well records in Newry, 209 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.

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.