An Act to Ensure Access to Safe Drinking Water from Household Wells in Rural Areas by Expanding Testing
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1006
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: PLUECKER, INGWERSEN, CLUCHEY, GRAHAM, MEYER, MILLIKEN, QUINT, RANA, CURRY, MOORE
Amends: 22 MRSA §2602-A, 30-A MRSA §4722

Legislative Document
No. 1006
H.P. 642
House of Representatives, March 7, 2023
An Act to Ensure Access to Safe Drinking Water from Household 
Wells in Rural Areas by Expanding Testing
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PLUECKER of Warren.
Cosponsored by Senator INGWERSEN of York and
Representatives: CLUCHEY of Bowdoinham, GRAHAM of North Yarmouth, MEYER of 
Eliot, MILLIKEN of Blue Hill, QUINT of Hodgdon, RANA of Bangor, Senators: CURRY of 
Waldo, MOORE of Washington.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §2602-A, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2021, c. 483, Pt. BB, §2, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place:
3.  Well water testing for low-income residents.  The department shall establish and 
maintain programs to provide free testing for contaminants of the private residential water 
supplies of low-income residents. As used in this subsection, "low-income resident" means 
a person who receives assistance under the MaineCare program or the food supplement 
program under section 3104. 
A.  The programs must include:
(1)  A program through the Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory 
established in section 565 to provide testing for arsenic and other contaminants 
specified in section 2660-T; and
(2)  A program to provide testing for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl 
substances, as defined in Title 38, section 1614, subsection 1, paragraph F, through 
contracts with qualified laboratories. The testing must be based on the most 
recently available analytical method approved by the federal Environmental 
Protection Agency that quantifies the maximum levels of perfluoroalkyl and 
polyfluoroalkyl substances.
B.  The department may not charge any fee or recover any cost as otherwise permitted 
by this chapter for a test of a private residential water supply performed for a low-
income resident under the programs established pursuant to this subsection.  
C.  The department shall conduct educational outreach to increase awareness among 
low-income residents with private residential water supplies of:
(1)  The availability of free well water testing under this subsection; and
(2)  The availability of grants under Title 30-A, section 4722, paragraph FF to pay 
for drinking water treatment systems to reduce exposure to contaminants.  
Outreach under this subparagraph must be conducted in consultation with the 
Maine State Housing Authority.
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §4722, sub-§1, ¶FF, as amended by PL 2021, c. 322, §1, is 
further amended to read:
FF.  Provide grants to eligible homeowners who are served by private well water that 
shows evidence of high levels of arsenic contamination a contaminant described in 
Title 22, section 2602-A, subsection 3 in an amount that exceeds state standards.  For 
purposes of this paragraph, "homeowner" includes an individual who occupies a single-
family dwelling that is located on land that is owned by a member of that individual's 
immediate family and "immediate family" means a spouse, parent, child, sibling, 
stepchild, stepparent and grandparent;
SUMMARY
This bill adds contaminants to the Department of Health and Human Services' uniform 
testing recommendation for private wells.  The bill requires a program to provide free 
testing for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in household well water of low-
income residents through contracts with qualified laboratories.  The department is required 
to conduct educational outreach to make low-income residents aware of the availability of 
free testing of well water and eligibility for grants from the Maine State Housing Authority 
to pay for water treatment systems.  The bill clarifies that homeowners served by well water 
that exceeds state standards for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and other 
contaminants are eligible for the grants.