‘If it works, don't fix it’: A qualitative study of knowledge, perception, and behaviour among private well owners in southeastern Ontario

Private well owners in Ontario are responsible for maintaining their wells and monitoring the quality of their well water supplies. Protective actions including well maintenance, treatment and regular water quality testing are crucial in preventing well water contamination and reducing exposure to waterborne pathogens, however participation rates are low. The current study sought to explore knowledge, perceptions, and behaviours among private well owners in two communities in southeastern Ontario (i.e., Town of Greater Napanee and Stone Mills Township) and contextualize relationships between motivators and barriers to undertaking protective actions. Semi-structured interviews were used to collate data from 40 private well owners (20 per community) in March 2021. The authors used a reflexive thematic analysis approach to arrive at central themes. Overall, four major themes were identified: (1) barriers to protective actions, (2) motivators to protective actions, (3) knowledge of potential sources and factors affecting local groundwater quality, (4) satisfaction and perceived drawbacks of well water as a drinking water source. Complacency regarding well water quality, low perceptions of risk, and inconvenience were key barriers, whereas “peace of mind” was a primary motivator to protective actions. Participants were more responsive to health events than environmental events, with differences in perceptions of risk and awareness between the two study communities found. This study provides insights into key socio-cognitive factors influencing protective actions and the unique and context-specific needs of private well owners. Findings may be used to inform development of tailored knowledge-translation strategies and evidence-based tools to enhance sustainable well water safety and management among private well owners in the province, Canada and globally.