Well water in Norwich, Vermont
In Norwich, 2% of 236 private wells tested had arsenic above the Vermont limit (10 ug/L), according to the Vermont Department of Health.
236 private wells tested in state summaries; 3 individual samples from 1 wells, 1972. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radon | 33 | 3% | 588 | 3,730 | 4,800 | 4,000 pCi/L | |
| Arsenic | 236 | 2% | * | 3 | 33 | 10 ug/L | |
| Gross alpha Gross Alpha | 149 | <1% | 1.6 | 8.6 | 23.6 | 15 pCi/L | |
| Fluoride | 227 | 0% | 0.05 | 0.19 | 1.1 | 4 mg/L | |
| Uranium | 210 | 0% | * | 6 | 12 | 20 ug/L | |
| Nitrate | 127 | 0% | 0.25 | 2 | 4.53 | 10 mg/L |
* suppressed by the publisher because too few wells were tested.
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What this means
Among homeowners in Norwich who sent a sample to the state lab, the health-based limits most often exceeded were arsenic (2% of 236 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.
Radon was above the Vermont advisory level of 4,000 pCi/L in 3% of 33 wells. Radon in water matters because it moves into indoor air during showers and laundry.
What to test for in Norwich
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)14 leaking underground storage tank sites on record locally.
- PFAS1 unlined landfill on record locally.
- Metals panel4 hazardous waste sites on record locally.
- Radon3% of 33 local wells tested were above the Vermont advisory level.
- Arsenic2% of 236 local wells tested were above the Vermont limit.
- Gross alpha<1% of 149 local wells tested were above the Vermont limit.
- Coliform bacteriaRecommended for every private well, every year.
- FluorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
- ManganeseDetected in 100% of local samples.
- IronDetected in 100% of local samples.
- ChlorideDetected in 100% of local samples.
Wells in Norwich
325 domestic wells in Norwich are on record with the state since 1995. 100% are drilled into bedrock, and the typical well is 360 feet deep (one in ten goes past 505 feet).
In a typical Norwich well, bedrock starts about 15 feet down, the median yield is 8 gallons per minute, 21% 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 Norwich
Vermont ANR records 14 leaking underground storage tank sites, 1 unlined landfill, 4 hazardous waste sites, and 1 reported spill or release in Norwich, among 29 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.
- 14
- 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.
- 4
- hazardous waste sitesSolvents, degreasers and metals from industrial sites can travel far in fractured bedrock.
- 1
- reported spill or releaseMost spills are fuel; a few are solvents or chemicals that reach the water table.
- 9
- 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
- Manganese
- Oxidizing filter (greensand, birm) whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Point-of-use reverse osmosis
- Iron
- Oxidizing filter whole-house; Water softener (low levels); Aeration plus filtration
- Chloride
- Point-of-use reverse osmosis; Distillation
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Common questions
How deep are wells in Norwich?
The typical domestic well in Norwich is 360 feet deep, based on 325 wells reported to the state since 1995. One in ten is deeper than 505 feet. 100% are drilled into bedrock.
How often should I test a private well in Norwich?
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: 18 samples in Norwich. 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 6 contaminants in Norwich, up to 236 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: 341 well records in Norwich, 325 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: 29 regulated sites located in Norwich. 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.