Viral Contamination of Household Wells Near Disposal Sites for Human Excreta

Summary: Recent studies monitoring ground water for enteric viruses have focused on municipal wells, whereas the incidence of viruses in private household wells is unknown. However, household wells may be more susceptible to viral contamination than municipal wells because they are shallower, may be less carefully maintained, and can be located in close proximity to areas with high loading rates of human excreta. For regions of the US that rely heavily on ground water, like the northern Midwest, data on virus incidence in private wells would complement the municipal well data to more fully characterize the extent and conditions of groundwater contamination with enteric viruses.