High toxin levels are illegal in public water but not for private wells | Hacker News Reader

High toxin levels are illegal in public water but not for private wells

washingtonpost.com

3 pointshoward9418 comments

How would you even go about enforcing this?

Require private well owners to pay for a well inspector to collect and process a water sample. For example, this is required when selling a home with a private well in some jurisdictions in the US.

Sure, for selling, maybe.

Do you know how much un-permitted construction goes on? More than you probably think. My point is that it's a non-starter: people just aren't going to do it and they'll get away with it unless there's some sort of third party involvement like a sale or maintenance.

Require registering the private well with the state EPA (similar to septic systems). Failure to do so incurs punitive penalties. Provide compensation to folks who report wells not reported within a grace period (similar to what NYC does with idle vehicles). Track un permitted construction using planet.com or other commercial satellite imagery providers that cover your jurisdiction boundaries.

Frankly, it’s good practice to know where humans are getting their potable water from considering potential pesticide, PFAS, and heavy metal contamination. Cheaper than health issues (cancer, primarily) and premature death that could’ve been avoided with well surveillance processes, as well a children consuming contaminated water potentially handicapping them for life. This very piece describes this in detail, and how without regulation, this harm at scale continues (because it’s easier to ignore than to protect).

The tools exist to solve for this. As always, it’s will (or lack thereof). Do we care about these people or not?

You'll be able to pull this off in some places. Many places (the sun belt, the rust belt, etc.) it won't happen. Neighbors don't narc on each other there.

"Our wells killed us off." "Did you consider accepting help?" "That violates our belief system." I am at a loss, unfortunately. A genuine “good luck” I suppose.

If it becomes a real problem, then people will ask for help.

The tools do exist but they cost $. There aren't many people lining up to pay for testing or remediation if testing shows something's there. It's not that folks want to drink poison, they just don't have many choices.

Might have better luck imposing testing on rental properties.

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