Three speakers at a well water protection workshop for Westerly and Charlestown residents at Charlestown Town Hall last night had suggestions for how you can tell how well your well is.

Alyson McCann, coordinator of water quality programs in the University of Rhode Island’s Department of Natural Resources Science, said knowing what kind of well you have and where it is can go a long way toward protecting your water supply.

There are three kinds of wells: dug, driven and drilled, she said, and all of them require a sealed cap at least 12 to 18 inches above the ground. A well should be positioned so the surrounding land drains away from the cap. Rainwater that floods the well from the top can bring surface contaminants into the clean water that is being pumped from underground.

A well should be at least 50 feet away from a road surface or a sewer line, 75 feet from a septic tank and 100 feet from a drain field or livestock pen, even a dog run.

If the well cap doesn’t stick out of the ground, there’s a chance that future owners of the property won’t be able to find it. Knowing the location is important for deciding where to gas up a lawnmower, bury a pet, position a swimming pool or tie out the dog. These activities should take place away from the well.

Maintenance is sometimes required on a well, such as replacing a pump, which generally lasts about 30 years, or resealing the cap or casing.

Testing your water is another good way to find out the health of your well.

The Rhode Island Department of Health recommends that water from private wells be tested once a year for coliform bacteria, nitrates and salt.

“Bacteria is everywhere,” said Holly Burdett, a URI Cooperative Extension research associate. “We want bacteria to be absent from our wells.”

Nitrates are formed when human and animal waste, and even grass clippings, decompose. Nitrates are in fertilizers and occur naturally. Levels of nitrates above 5 parts per million can be a risk for infants, nursing or pregnant women and breeding livestock.

Salt can get into well water from road salt used to melt snow, from nearby seawater and from some home water treatment systems.

Every three to five years, tests should be done for fluoride, iron, lead, manganese, turbidity, pH and radon. Radon is a gas that can cause lung cancer. Wells drilled into bedrock can sometimes deliver radon gas that can be breathed by a person taking a shower or doing the dishes. If a radon test shows radon in the air, the well should be tested for it.

Every five to 10 years, tests should be done for Volatile Organic Compounds, such as benzene, pesticides, fuel and paint thinner that spilled or was improperly disposed of.

Households with young children should test for lead and fluoride every year.

To make testing easy, the Health Department provides kits, instructions and the fees. Virginia Wootten of the Charlestown Conservation Commission, who tries to have the traveling well workshop visit each spring, will distribute and collect the kits from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today and from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Town Hall. Kits will also be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow at the recycling center.

Wootten will deliver the samples, paperwork and checks to the Health Department.

Results will be mailed, unless coliform bacteria is found.

In that case, the Health Department will call and recommend immediate action.

Another safe-water tip, from Richard Amirault, an engineering technician at the Health Department, is to equip outdoor faucets with backflow prevention. These inexpensive devices, available at any hardware store, keep water from siphoning back into the house if an outdoor hose is left in a bucket.

More information is available at www.health.ri.gov.