Drinking Water | Vermont Department of Health CLOSE Translations for you Drinking Water In this section: Private Drinking Water Public Drinking Water How to Test Your Drinking Water How to Treat Your Drinking Water How to Disinfect Your Drinking Water New Drilled Well Testing: What You Need to Know Drought and Your Well After a Flood: Private Drinking Water Guidance Legionella in Building Water Systems Drinking Water and Your Health About four out of 10 Vermont households drink water from private wells or springs. The Private Drinking Water Program helps Vermonters with questions about drinking water quality and human health. If you are on private water, you are responsible for testing the quality of your drinking water and maintaining your well or spring. The wells and springs that supply your drinking water are susceptible to contaminants that could affect your health – bacteria and viruses from septic waste and disposal, naturally occurring chemicals like arsenic and manganese, petroleum products, pesticides and radiation. You do not know what is in your water until you test it. The Health Department recommends testing your private well or spring for bacteria, inorganic chemicals and gross alpha radiation. Learn more about testing your private drinking water If you have high levels of contaminants in your drinking water, the Health Department recommends treating your water. Find out about water treatment options Order Drinking Water Test Kits Do you receive a water bill? The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation regulates public water treatment systems. Learn more about public drinking water Private Drinking Water Program Phone: 802-489-7339 Email: [email protected] Legionella in Building Water Systems Treating for PFAS in Drinking Water Parasites in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Parasites in Drinking Water According to the CDC, about... Sodium and Chloride in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Sodium and Chloride in Drinking Water Both sodium and... Iron in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Iron in Drinking Water Iron is a metal found... How to Test Your Drinking Water If you get your drinking water from a private well or spring, test it regularly... How to Treat Your Drinking Water If your drinking water test results show your water is contaminated, you’ll need to treat... New Drilled Well Testing: What You Need to Know Vermont law requires water to be tested when a new groundwater drinking source is installed... Drought and Your Well Drought can cause groundwater levels to lower and could cause your drinking water source to... Copper in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Copper in Drinking Water Copper is an essential nutrient... Hydrogen Sulfide in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Hydrogen Sulfide in Drinking Water Hydrogen sulfide gas can... Radon in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Radon in Drinking Water Radon is a naturally occurring... Hardness in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Hardness in Drinking Water Water described as “hard” contains... Arsenic in Drinking Water Arsenic is a natural element found in some rocks and soils in Vermont and may... Gross Alpha Radiation, Uranium and Radium in Drinking Water Gross alpha radiation is a type of energy released when certain radioactive elements decay or... Nitrates and Nitrites in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Nitrates and Nitrites in Drinking Water Nitrogen can take... Manganese in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Manganese in Drinking Water Manganese is a metal found... Lead in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Lead in Drinking Water Lead is a highly toxic... Organic Chemicals in Drinking Water including Pesticides and Petrochemicals Pesticides, petrochemicals and other organic chemicals are human-made and do not occur naturally in drinking... Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water PFAS, including PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid), are manufactured chemicals that stay... Monochloramines and Disinfection Byproducts in Drinking Water The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires that public water systems use chlorine for disinfection at... Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water What You Need to Know About Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water Coliform bacteria are one... After a Flood: Private Drinking Water Guidance Any flood or major rainstorm that generates significant runoff could contaminate your water supply making... How to Disinfect Your Drinking Water Water contaminated with bacteria can make you sick. Learn how to disinfect your water before... Public Drinking Water Public drinking water systems are regulated by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. However, the... Private Drinking Water Learn how to make sure your well or spring is properly constructed and maintained to... Subscribe to Drinking Water February 10, 2026