A first-of-its-kind Montana State University study found the private well water many Montanans rely on might be more unhealthy than owners think.

The study found 75% of the 51 watersheds researchers analyzed were contaminated with human carcinogens like arsenic and uranium frequently detected above federal lifetime health risks.

“A lot of people on home wells in Montana have no reason to suspect that they have unsafe water because they can't taste the contaminants,” said Margaret Eggers, one of the lead authors of the February study. “It doesn't discolor the water. It doesn't give it an odd smell. They have really great tasting water. Yet many actually have levels of contamination that contribute to increasing risk of many different chronic health conditions.”

In Montana, roughly 30%

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