Private Wells
A private water supply provides water for human consumption and consists of a system that (1) has less than fifteen service connections and (2) either serves less than twenty-five individuals or serves an average of twenty-five or more individuals daily for less than sixty days of the year. The term "private well" is typically used for a well that provides drinking water for a single family residence.
Under Massachusetts General Law, (MGL Ch.111 s.122) local Boards of Health (BOHs) have primary jurisdiction over the regulation of private wells. The local BOH is empowered to adopt a Private Well Regulation that establishes criteria for private well siting, construction, water quality and quantity."
Do you have a private well? The Board of Health requires a water test, due by September 1, 2009.