OWLS HEAD — A survey has shown that most of the water wells in Owls Head are drilled to a depth of more than 100 feet and yield 3 to 5 gallons of water a minute.

Earlier, town officials expressed concern about the Owls Head water supply. In the fall of 1992, a questionnaire was sent out to taxpayers to collect information on the quantity and quality of water found in wells throughout the area. Because of the geology of Owls Head, there is no single aquifer from which residents may draw water.

Supply is dependent on water that seeps into the ground and penetrates through cracks in the bedrock. The water from about half of the wells was found to be discolored and did not have a good taste. Water from about one-third of the wells had an unpleasant odor. Three wells supplied water with a salty taste.

Ninety of the households that responded to the survey had installed filters to make their water acceptable. Of 17 dug wells in the survey, most seemed to provide water of satisfactory quality. One homeowner reported no water problem until a new house was built on an adjacent undersized lot.

The nature and variety of the soils of Owls Head are such that their filtering properties are far from ideal. The fact that the area has such a long shoreline means that if too much freshwater is pulled out and not recharged along the shore the hydrostatic balance will be upset and a permanent intrusion of saltwater will take place.