NGWA is applauding the introduction of the bipartisan Test Your Well Water Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill was introduced on July 20 by Representatives Dan Kildee (D-Michigan) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin).
The legislation instructs the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to create an online tool that provides private well owners with resources to test their drinking water and then better understand the results. This tool would promote transparency and streamline EPA resources to help people potentially exposed to toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other contaminants.
“We applaud Congressmen Kildee and Gallagher for their leadership in introducing the Test Your Well Water Act,” said NGWA CEO Terry S. Morse, CAE, CIC. “This new tool will significantly increase water quality testing of private wells and will lead to healthier and safer communities. Water well owners are too often left out of the national discussion on improving water quality, so we are thankful for Congressmen Kildee and Gallagher’s efforts and look forward to working with Congress to pass this bill.”
While the Test Your Well Water Act failed to receive consideration in the Senate when originally introduced in 2019, the current bill’s language has already been incorporated in the INVEST Act and is expected to have a greater chance of passage this congressional session.
The Test Your Well Water Act is endorsed by nine organizations focused on providing safe drinking water including NGWA, A.O. Smith, Environmental Working Group, Michigan Ground Water Association, National Environmental Health Association, NSF International, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Water Quality Association, and Michigan League of Conservation Voters.
NGWA has long been an industry leader in providing PFAS research, education, and resources to the public and scientific communities. In 2017, NGWA published Groundwater and PFAS: State of Knowledge and Practice, which was one of the first PFAS guidance documents to be released. It can be found at NGWA.org/PFAS, which is a complete resource center about the groundwater contaminants featuring a FAQs document, a top-10 facts sheet, a homeowner checklist, and more.