Well water in Machias, Maine
In Machias, 3% of 31 private wells tested had fluoride above the Maine guideline (2 mg/L), according to Maine CDC.
31 private wells tested in state summaries; 10 individual samples from 10 wells, 1968 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, 10% of 10 PFOA results in Machias were above the EPA limit of 4 ng/L. In that targeted sampling, 10% of 10 PFOS results in Machias 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.
| Contaminant | Wells tested | Above state level | Median | 95th pct | Highest | State level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic | 24 | 13% | 10 ug/L | ||||
| Manganese | 26 | 8% | 300 ug/L | ||||
| Fluoride | 31 | 3% | 2 mg/L | ||||
| Nitrate | 30 | 0% | 10 mg/L | ||||
| Nitrite | 30 | 0% | 1 mg/L | ||||
| Uranium | 18 | suppressed | * | * | 30 ug/L |
* suppressed by the publisher because too few wells were tested.
What individual samples found
Each row summarizes every public sample for that contaminant inside Machias. 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 2022 to 2026 | 10 | 30% | 10% | 0 | 37.7 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFOS 2022 to 2026 | 10 | 20% | 10% | 0 | 16.8 | 4 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFHxS 2022 to 2026 | 10 | 20% | 0% | 0 | 3.71 | 10 ng/L EPA limit | |
| PFNA 2022 to 2026 | 10 | 10% | 0% | 0 | 1.99 | 10 ng/L EPA limit | |
| Chloride 1968 to 1983 | 10 | 100% | no limit | 3.8 | 9 | 250 mg/L nuisance level |
Sampled fewer than 10 times, too few to summarize: Nitrate (6), Fluoride (1), Sodium (1), Manganese (1).
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What this means
Among homeowners in Machias who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (13% of 24 wells) and fluoride (3% of 31 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 Machias
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)3 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
- Metals panel3 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Arsenic13% of 24 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- PFOA10% of 10 local samples were above the limit.
- PFOS10% of 10 local samples were above the limit.
- Manganese8% of 26 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Fluoride3% of 31 local wells tested were above the Maine guideline.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- NitrateRecommended for every private well, especially near farms or septic systems.
Wells in Machias
110 domestic wells in Machias are on record with the state since 1970. 95% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 210 feet deep (one in ten goes past 420 feet).
In a typical Machias well, bedrock starts about 20 feet down, the median yield is 5 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 Machias
Maine DEP records 3 leaking underground storage tank sites, 1 unlined landfill, and 3 hazardous waste sites in Machias, among 22 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.
- 3
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 15
- 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
- Fluoride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
- Chloride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
Book a free water test in Machias
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Machias?
The typical domestic well in Machias is 210 feet deep, based on 110 wells reported to the state since 1970. One in ten is deeper than 420 feet. 95% are drilled into bedrock.
How often should I test a private well in Machias?
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: 40 samples in Machias. PFAS results for private wells sampled by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- USGS Water Quality Portal: 19 samples in Machias. 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 Machias, up to 31 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 Machias, 110 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: 22 regulated sites located in Machias. 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.