Transdisciplinary Approach to Private Well Research
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: More than 60 million people in the United States and Canada rely on private drinking water systems (mostly private wells), which fall outside of national regulations for water quality and management. This decentralized infrastructure creates unique challenges. First, fragmented policy oversight leads to inconsistent data availability. Second, population heterogeneity in well users requires accounting for the social determinants of health and behavioral differences. Additionally, the individualized nature of well management creates persistent gaps between knowledge generation and the protective action. A broad goal of private well research is to (1) understand, predict, and prevent potential health problems related to well water consumption and (2) enable individual and collective action to reduce exposures to contaminants in well water. Here, we propose a conceptual model to advance private well research through a transdisciplinary approach that links water sources to health and prioritizes engagement among researchers, communities, and decision makers. We also identify challenges and opportunities aimed at improving data systems, refining hazard and risk assessments, linking interdisciplinary research and practical knowledge, and sustaining long-term partnerships. While our geographic focus is on North America, the principles and strategies outlined are globally relevant to addressing health risks associated with unregulated private drinking water sources.
Authors: Ann S. Ojeda, Jason R. Barrett, Elizabeth W. Boyer, Drew Capone, Rachel Coyte, Saugata Datta, Matthew Dietrich, Natasha Dimova, Lauren A. Eaves, Rebecca C. Fry, Anna Gitter, Xindi C. Hu, Melissa A. Lombard, Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Helen Moylan, Riley E. Mulhern, Heather M. Murphy, Siddhartha Roy, Bridget R. Scanlon, Leigh G. Terry, Nicole Tripp, Jeffrey Wickliffe, Samantha C. Ying
Institutions: Auburn University, Mississippi State University, Pennsylvania State University, Indiana University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, MineraLogic LLC (United States), University of Alabama, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, George Washington University, New England Water Science Center, North Carolina State University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Guelph, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of California, Riverside
Language: English
Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,500
OpenAlex ID: W7203826242