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Climate-driven flooding poses well water contamination risks

In this photo taken in September 2017, Sandy Wynn-Stelt, of Belmont, Mich., stands in a wooded area near her home where industrial wastes containing PFAS chemicals were dumped for many years. High levels of the toxic compounds later were detected in drinking water from her well. While estimates vary, studies say roughly 53 million U.S. residents rely on private wells. While many provide safe water, experts say some are vulnerable to contamination from bacteria or other impurities from floodwaters or from groundwater tainted with PFAS or other pollutants. (Nic Antaya/The Grand Rapids Press via AP) FILE - An oil sheen drifts between a sunken shrimp boat and pieces of a destroyed home along Bayou Pointe au Chien in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Pointe-aux-Chenes, La., on Sept. 14, 2021. Experts say more intense storms driven by climate change are boosting contamination risks for privately-owned drinking water wells. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) Bea Jobe speaks in her home, which sits near Lick Creek, on March 8, 2022, in Primm Springs, Tenn. Several times a year, when there is heavy rain and a nearby creek floods, her well water turns "dingy," Jobe said. While estimates vary, roughly 53 million U.S. residents, about 17% of the population, rely on private wells, according to a study done in part by Environmental Protection Agency researchers. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) Neil Jobe talks in his home March 8, 2022, in Primm Springs, Tenn., which sits near Lick Creek. Several times a year, when there is heavy rain and a nearby creek floods, the family's well water turns "dingy," according to the Jobes. While estimates vary, roughly 53 million U.S. residents, about 17% of the population, rely on private wells, according to a study done in part by Environmental Protection Agency researchers. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) This photo provided by Stefanie Johnson shows Johnson's private well in Blandinsville, Ill. Her well was contaminated during major flooding in 2013. Johnson's family was without drinking water for nearly two months. She says contaminated wastewater likely drained in through the top, causing her well to test positive for E. coli. (Stefanie Johnson via AP) FILE - Emily Francois walks through floodwater beside her flood-damaged home in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida on Sept. 1, 2021, in Jean Lafitte, La. Experts say more intense storms driven by climate change are boosting contamination risks for privately-owned drinking water wells. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) In this photo taken Nov. 13, 2018, Sandy Wynn-Stelt, of Belmont, Mich., testifies during a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich., about PFAS contamination of her well, believed to have come from a nearby industrial landfill. While estimates vary, studies say roughly 53 million U.S. residents rely on private wells. While many provide safe water, experts say some are vulnerable to contamination from bacteria or other impurities from floodwaters or from groundwater tainted with PFAS or other pollutants. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP) Students Wesley Hayes, left, and Lori Parker, of Northeastern University, process water samples while taking part in a testing program sponsored by Mississippi State University, May 12, 2022, in Warren County, Miss. The program tests water provided by well owners for evidence of E. coli and other contaminants. Experts say more intense storms driven by climate change are boosting the risk of tainted water in privately-owned wells, which are largely unregulated. They say regular sampling and simple maintenance can help protect those who drink well water. (Jason Barrett/Mississippi State University via AP) Neil and Bea Jobe pose in their home March 8, 2022, in Primm Springs, Tenn., which sits near Lick Creek. Several times a year, when there is heavy rain and a nearby creek floods, their well water turns "dingy," Bea Jobe said. While estimates vary, roughly 53 million U.S. residents, about 17% of the population, rely on private wells, according to a study done in part by Environmental Protection Agency researchers. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) This photo provided by Stefanie Johnson shows Johnson's private well in Blandinsville, Ill. Her well was contaminated during major flooding in 2013. Johnson's family was without drinking water for nearly two months. She says contaminated wastewater likely drained in through the top, causing her well to test positive for E. coli. (Stefanie Johnson via AP) FILE - Homes are surrounded by floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey in Spring, Texas, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017. Experts say more intense storms driven by climate change are boosting contamination risks for privately-owned drinking water wells. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)