In the United States, ~14.1% of the population relies on private wells for drinking water. In Colorado, that estimate is closer to 7%. Although the Safe Drinking Water Act charges the Environmental Protection Agency with setting regulations for water quality to ensure that specified contaminants are not present above the Maximum Contaminant Level, private wells are not included under the umbrella of regulatory authority for public water systems. Concurrently, there exists a very limited support framework for domestic well users in Colorado and nationally. The purpose of this session is to share what private well stewardship workshops revealed about how community members learn, engage with, and act on well water management, and to help others apply such insights in their own programs.
The session will cover the following content: 1) Private Well Stewardship and Why It Matters 2) Workshop Design & Approach 3) Stakeholders and Community Engagement Strategies 4) Key findings from the workshops.
Alongside a short presentation from the facilitators, participants will engage in several hands-on activities to build their skills. Examples include interactive activities where participants will assess how private well use becomes a public health issue, a real-world case study of the Boulder County Public Health–academic partnership, small-group mapping of key stakeholders and partnership strategies, and guided discussions on how local public health agencies can adapt private well stewardship efforts within their own county context. Audience polls will be used to explore participants’ current familiarity with private wells, perceived local public health agencies (LPHA) roles, and barriers to engaging private well users. An applied activity will invite participants to identify one potential partner, one local barrier, and one first step for advancing private well stewardship in their jurisdiction. The session will conclude with an open forum for participants to ask questions, share insights, and discuss opportunities for strengthening private well stewardship across Colorado communities. Recommendations for resources and partnership approaches to support future LPHA engagement in private well stewardship will be provided.
This session supports best practices and skill development by introducing practical approaches for private well stewardship, helping participants strengthen skills in community engagement, partnership development, and applied public health practice. Through the Boulder County case study, participants will examine how LPHAs can collaborate with academic partners to better understand private well users’ concerns, testing behaviors, and stewardship practices. The session will also highlight regulatory gaps, equity considerations, and communication challenges in private well use. By engaging in applied activities, participants will identify local opportunities, barriers, and potential partners for advancing private well stewardship within their own communities.
A pre- and post-workshop assessment will be used to measure knowledge and skills developed during the session. Using a brief survey, participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding private well stewardship, LPHA roles, community engagement, and partnership development will be assessed before and after the workshop. A brief qualitative assessment will also be included post-session to understand what participants’ most valuable takeaways, learnings, and how they plan to apply private well stewardship strategies within their own public health context.
