EPA and North Carolina Health Authorities Encourage Well Water Testing in Areas Affected by Hurricane Helene
Free sampling kits and disinfection resources are available through state and local health departments
Boone, N.C. (October 31, 2024) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle joined Tim Futrelle, Mayor of Boone, N.C., Mary Penny Kelley, Secretary, N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, and Jennifer Greene, Health Director/CEO, AppHealthCare, at EPA’s mobile water laboratory in Boone, N.C. to emphasize the importance of testing water from private wells for bacterial contamination if the well was impacted by flooding from Hurricane Helene.
“Testing your well water is the only way to know if the storm caused harmful contamination,” said Acting Southeast Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “Testing is free, and it can help protect your family’s health. That is why EPA deployed two mobile water laboratories to Western North Carolina and is working with state and local partners to make testing fast and readily available.”
“Ensuring residents of western North Carolina have access to clean drinking water is our top priority. We appreciate the partnership of the EPA and their work to use these mobile labs to support public water systems and residents with drinking water wells,” said Secretary Mary Penny Kelley, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
"We extend our thanks and appreciation to the EPA for stationing a mobile lab in our area. This has allowed us to expand the testing capacity for our communities and ensure our community has access to safe water. We encourage individuals to assess their well for damage, disinfect and test their private drinking wells to make sure their water is safe to use following the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Our team is available to assist, call us at (828) 795-1970 or visit our website at www.AppHealthCare.com or email us at [email protected]," stated Jennifer Greene, Health Director/CEO, AppHealthCare.
Private well owners whose wells were flooded or otherwise damaged by the storm are urged to contact their local health department to request testing. After samples are received through the local health department, EPA tests for total coliform and E. coli, which may indicate fecal contamination and the potential presence of harmful microorganisms. To date, EPA has tested has accepted nearly 900 drinking water samples. EPA’s mobile drinking water labs will remain in North Carolina until the state no longer needs the service.
For more information on EPA’s ongoing Hurricane Helene response efforts visit EPA’s Hurricane Helene Response landing page.
For more information on private well water quality, visit EPA’s well water page.
For more information on disinfecting well water after an emergency, visit the CDC’s well water disinfection page.
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