Well water in Plymouth, Maine
In Plymouth, 7% of 55 private wells tested had arsenic above the Maine guideline (10 ug/L), according to Maine CDC.
58 private wells tested in state summaries; 21 individual samples from 21 wells, 2000 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. In that targeted sampling, 43% of 21 PFOA results in Plymouth were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L. In that targeted sampling, 10% of 21 PFOS results in Plymouth 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 Plymouth. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFOA 2020 to 2024 | 21 | 48% | 43% | 0 | 18.5 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFOS 2020 to 2024 | 21 | 33% | 10% | 0 | 6.57 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFHxS 2020 to 2024 | 21 | 14% | 0% | 0 | 1.89 | 10 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFNA 2020 to 2024 | 21 | 10% | 0% | 0 | 0.616 | 10 ng/L EPA limit |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Copper (2), Arsenic (2), Uranium (2), Nitrate (2), Lead (2), Radium (226 + 228) (2), E. coli (2), Fluoride (1), Chloride (2), Radon (1).
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What this means
Among homeowners in Plymouth who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (7% of 55 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 Plymouth
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)3 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
- Metals panel1 hazardous waste site on record locally.
- PFOA43% of 21 local samples were above the limit.
- Manganese13% of 47 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- PFOS10% of 21 local samples were above the limit.
- Arsenic7% of 55 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- RadonMedian local reading is 2,530 pCi/L.
- CopperDetected in 100% of local samples.
- ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
Wells in Plymouth
97 domestic wells in Plymouth are on record with the state since 1970. 100% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 183 feet deep (one in ten goes past 420 feet).
In a typical Plymouth well, bedrock starts about 15 feet down, the median yield is 7 gallons per minute, 23% 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 Plymouth
Maine DEP records 3 leaking underground storage tank sites, 1 unlined landfill, and 1 hazardous waste site in Plymouth, among 8 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.
- 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.
- 3
- other remediation projects
Treatment that fits the local profile
- Arsenic
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
- Manganese
- Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- PFOA
- Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
- PFOS
- Granular activated carbon whole-house; Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Anion exchange
- Copper
- Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Chloride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Plymouth?
The typical domestic well in Plymouth is 183 feet deep, based on 97 wells reported to the state since 1970. One in ten is deeper than 420 feet. 100% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Plymouth?
Arsenic was detected in 50% of 2 public well samples in Plymouth, 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 Plymouth?
The median radon level across 1 public samples in Plymouth was 2,530 pCi/L, with a high of 2,530 pCi/L. New Hampshire recommends treatment above 2,000 pCi/L.
How often should I test a private well in Plymouth?
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: 84 samples in Plymouth. PFAS results for private wells sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 18 samples in Plymouth. 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 Plymouth, up to 58 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: 104 well records in Plymouth, 97 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: 8 regulated sites located in Plymouth. 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.