Well Water Nerd

Well water in Norridgewock, Maine

In Norridgewock, 17% of 81 private wells tested had arsenic above the Maine guideline (10 ug/L), according to Maine CDC.

93 private wells tested in state summaries; 16 individual samples from 16 wells, 1984 to 2025. 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, 6% of 16 PFOA results in Norridgewock were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L. In that targeted sampling, 6% of 16 PFOS results in Norridgewock 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.

ContaminantWells testedAbove state levelMedian95th pctHighestState level
Arsenic8117%10 ug/L
Fluoride9311%2 mg/L
Uranium714%30 ug/L
Manganese801%300 ug/L
Nitrate931%10 mg/L
Nitrite930%1 mg/L

What individual samples found

Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Norridgewock. 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.

ContaminantSamplesDetectedAbove limitMedianHighestLimit
PFOA
2023 to 2025
1644%6%014.34 ng/L
EPA limit
PFOS
2023 to 2025
1625%6%010.44 ng/L
EPA limit
PFHxS
2023 to 2025
1613%0%02.9110 ng/L
EPA limit
PFNA
2023 to 2025
1625%0%05.2510 ng/L
EPA limit

Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Nitrate (4), Lead (2), Chloride (4).

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What this means

Among homeowners in Norridgewock who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (17% of 81 wells), fluoride (11% of 93 wells), and uranium (4% of 71 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 Norridgewock

  • Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)1 leaking underground storage tank site on record locally.
  • PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
  • Metals panel2 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
  • Arsenic17% of 81 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Fluoride11% of 93 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • PFOA6% of 16 local samples were above the limit.
  • PFOS6% of 16 local samples were above the limit.
  • Uranium4% of 71 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Manganese1% of 80 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Nitrate1% of 93 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
  • Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.

Wells in Norridgewock

195 domestic wells in Norridgewock are on record with the state since 1970. 97% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 261 feet deep (one in ten goes past 420 feet).

In a typical Norridgewock well, bedrock starts about 39 feet down, the median yield is 5 gallons per minute, 24% 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.

13
1970s
11
1980s
39
1990s
49
2000s
47
2010s
33
2020s

Contamination sources on record in Norridgewock

Maine DEP records 1 leaking underground storage tank site, 1 unlined landfill, and 2 hazardous waste sites in Norridgewock, among 6 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
leaking underground storage tank siteGasoline 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.
2
hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
2
other remediation projects

Treatment that fits the local profile

Arsenic
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Adsorptive media (iron-based) whole-house; Anion exchange
Fluoride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
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
Chloride
Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation

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Common questions

How deep are wells in Norridgewock?

The typical domestic well in Norridgewock is 261 feet deep, based on 195 wells reported to the state since 1970. One in ten is deeper than 420 feet. 97% are drilled into bedrock.

How often should I test a private well in Norridgewock?

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: 64 samples in Norridgewock. PFAS results for private wells sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
  • USGS Water Quality Portal: 10 samples in Norridgewock. 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 Norridgewock, 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: 204 well records in Norridgewock, 195 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: 6 regulated sites located in Norridgewock. 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.