Well water in Westminster, Vermont
In Westminster, 4% of 90 private wells tested had arsenic above the Vermont limit (10 ug/L), according to the Vermont Department of Health.
137 private wells tested in state summaries; 2 individual samples from 1 wells, 2017. Data refreshed September 3, 2026.
What homeowner tests found
Vermont Tracking 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 | 90 | 4% | * | 9 | 23 | 10 ug/L | |
| Fluoride | 137 | 3% | 0.15 | 1.79 | 4.78 | 4 mg/L | |
| Nitrate | 100 | 1% | 0.25 | 2.05 | 27.6 | 10 mg/L | |
| Uranium | 86 | 0% | * | 2 | 3 | 20 ug/L | |
| Gross alpha Gross Alpha | 59 | 0% | 0.8 | 4.3 | 8.4 | 15 pCi/L |
* suppressed by the publisher because too few wells were tested.
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What this means
Among homeowners in Westminster who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (4% of 90 wells), fluoride (3% of 137 wells), and nitrate (1% of 100 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 Westminster
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)9 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- Metals panel3 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Arsenic4% of 90 local wells tested were above the Vermont limit.
- Fluoride3% of 137 local wells tested were above the Vermont limit.
- Nitrate1% of 100 local wells tested were above the Vermont limit.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- CopperDetected in 100% of local samples.
- ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- IronDetected in 100% of local samples.
Wells in Westminster
222 domestic wells in Westminster are on record with the state since 1974. 99% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 345 feet deep (one in ten goes past 505 feet).
In a typical Westminster well, bedrock starts about 19 feet down, the median yield is 4 gallons per minute, 41% 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 Westminster
Vermont ANR records 9 leaking underground storage tank sites and 3 hazardous waste sites in Westminster, among 39 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.
- 9
- leaking underground storage tank sitesGasoline and heating oil that leaked from tanks move through groundwater as benzene, MTBE and other volatile organic compounds.
- 3
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 27
- registered underground storage tank sitesRegistered tanks are regulated and inspected; they matter most when they are old or near a shallow well.
Treatment that fits the local profile
- Fluoride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Activated alumina; Distillation
- Copper
- Neutralizing filter to raise pH; Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Chloride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
- Iron
- Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Westminster?
The typical domestic well in Westminster is 345 feet deep, based on 222 wells reported to the state since 1974. One in ten is deeper than 505 feet. 99% are drilled into bedrock.
Is there arsenic in well water in Westminster?
Arsenic was detected in 100% of 1 public well samples in Westminster, 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 often should I test a private well in Westminster?
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: 14 samples in Westminster. Data from the Water Quality Portal, a service of USGS, EPA and USDA; groundwater samples collected by USGS and cooperators. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- Vermont Tracking private well summaries: summaries for 5 contaminants in Westminster, up to 137 wells each. Town summaries of private well tests reported to the Vermont Department of Health, published through Vermont Environmental Public Health Tracking. Shares are against the limit Vermont applies to each analyte: arsenic 10 ug/L, uranium 20 ug/L (stricter than EPA), fluoride 4 mg/L, nitrate 10 mg/L, gross alpha 15 pCi/L, radon 4,000 pCi/L advisory. Only towns with 20 or more results are published; statistics below the reporting limit show as *. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- Vermont ANR well completion reports: 238 well records in Westminster, 222 domestic. Well completion reports filed with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources since 1966. Only aggregates are shown; owner names and addresses are never stored. Retrieved September 3, 2026.
- Vermont ANR regulated sites: 39 regulated sites located in Westminster. Hazardous waste sites, landfills and underground storage tanks from the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. 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.