Alarming test data

More than eight out of ten domestic wells are inadequate

Well shaft as a crime scene: Stefan Kaineder (Greens), Upper Austrian State Councillor for the Environment, advises people to connect to the public water supply.(Bild: Land OÖ/Werner Dedl)

Many households in Upper Austria supply themselves with drinking water from their own domestic wells - because a connection to the local water supply is not possible or they want to be independent of it. However, an inspection of more than 1,200 domestic wells has now revealed "alarming results". 

Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, Stefan Kaineder (Greens), the provincial councillor responsible for water supply, had a total of 1211 so-called individual water supply systems throughout the province inspected. The samples taken from the domestic wells were evaluated in the laboratory - and the results now available are not exactly appetizing.

Only 14 percent flawless
"The majority of domestic wells are not in a suitable structural condition or do not provide safe drinking water," says Kaineder, summarizing the analysis results. In the overall evaluation, in which chemical-bacteriological and structural criteria were taken into account, only 14 percent of the wells were found to be in perfect condition. 86 percent were classified as "wells with defects or in need of advice".

Three out of ten samples not fit for human consumption
A closer look shows that from a chemical-bacteriological point of view, the water in three out of ten domestic wells is not fit for human consumption at all and in a further 30 percent only to a limited extent. With regard to the structural condition, renovation is recommended for a good quarter of the wells. Excessive nitrate levels and pesticides were also detected in many domestic wells.

In view of the "sometimes alarming results", Kaineder recommends connecting to a public water supply wherever possible and sensible. Anyone who is reliant on a domestic well should take advantage of the advice offered by the Upper Austrian government.