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The board of health will hold a public hearing within the Cole Room of the Medway Public Library located at 26 High Street, Medway, MA, on September 15, 2025, at 6:00 pm to review and hear comments relative to a proposed Board of Health Regulation entitled “Medway Board of Health Rules and Regulations for Private Wells.” Proposed policies in the draft regulation include, but are not limited to, standards for well construction permits, well location and use requirements, and water quantity and quality requirements. Interested persons may be heard during the above hearing or submit written comments to the Board of Health, 155 Village St, Medway, MA 02053, or via email to boh@medwayma.gov.
For a draft copy of the proposed regulation, you can go tothe Medway Board of Health Website at https://medwayma.gov/well-related/
In Massachusetts, private wells are regulated at the municipal level—that is, by local Boards of Health in towns or cities, rather than by the state directly.
Statewide, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) provides resources like Private Well Guidelines and Model Board of Health (BOH) Regulations, but actual enforcement and specific requirements are determined locally
Private Well Guidelines: Provide technical guidance on well construction, siting, testing, decommissioning, and best practices to promote consistency among municipalities
Model BOH Regulation for Private Wells: Offers a template for local boards to develop municipal regulations, covering topics such as:
> Well construction permits
> Water supply certificates
> Minimum water quantity and quality standards
> PFAS testing requirements (especially upon property transfer or new well permits)
> Definitions, enforcement measures, variances, and more
MassDEP suggests contaminant testing intervals: annually for bacteria and nitrates/nitrites; every 10 years for other contaminants. Testing must be done through a state-certified laboratory, and private well owners are responsible for these costs
Local (Town/City-Level) Regulations
Local Boards of Health may adopt variations of the model regulations. Examples include:
Hingham, MA:
- Requires a minimum yield of 2.5 gallons per minute for potable wells.
- Mandates well location setbacks, proper spacing from sewers, and prohibits connections between private wells and public systems.
- Detailed water quality testing of numerous parameters including coliform, nitrates, VOCs, sodium, hardness, lead, etc., prior to use
Mashpee, MA:
- Requires baseline quality testing including arsenic and PFAS compounds (PFHpA, PFDA).
- Allows Boards to mandate additional tests in known contamination zones.
- Testing must meet state primary and secondary drinking water standards.
- Annual testing of common contaminants (bacteria, nitrate, pH, iron, etc.) is strongly recommended.
- Requires testing prior to property transfer, with results provided to prospective buyers and the Board
Bedford, MA:
- Requires wells to adhere to MassDEP guidelines.
- Permits are necessary for drinking wells; irrigation wells require registration.
- Specifies setbacks from roads, water bodies, sewers, septic systems.
- Water Supply Certificate issued after review of completion, yield, and quality reports
