肠道病毒是最有可能污染地下水的人类病原体。它们的体积非常小，死亡速度很慢，可以在土壤中渗透和生存，最终到达含水层。最近监测地下水中肠道病毒的研究主要集中在社区和非社区水井。没有一项研究调查了私人家庭水井中的病毒发生率。然而，与社区水井相比，这些水井可能更容易受到病毒污染，因为它们较浅，维护可能不太仔细，并且可以靠近人类排泄物高负荷率的区域。 为了准确评估地下水受病毒污染的程度，需要检查私人水井。本研究的目的是估计人类肠道病毒在私人家庭水井中的发生率，这些水井位于人类排泄物高负荷率的地点附近，特别是分隔土地传播地点和具有高密度化粪池系统的分区。这种方法的基本原理是，如果肠道病毒源附近的水井没有受到污染，那么排泄物装载率较低地区的其他水井就不太可能受到污染。 包括28个参考文献，表1。

Enteric viruses are the most likely human pathogens to contaminate groundwater.Their extremely small size and slow die-off rates allow them to infiltrate and survive in soils, eventually reaching aquifers. Recent studies monitoring groundwater for enteric viruses have focused on community and non-community wells. None of the studies have investigated the incidence of viruses in private household wells. However, these wells may be more susceptible to viral contamination than community wells because they are shallower, may be less carefully maintained, and can belocated in close proximity to areas with high loading rates of human excreta. To accurately assess the extent of groundwater contamination with viruses, private wells need to be examined. The objective of this study was to estimate the occurrence of human enteric viruses in private household wells located near sites with highloading rates of human excreta, specifically septage landspreading sites and subdivisions with high densities of septic systems. The rationale for this approach was that if wells near sources of enteric viruses are not contaminated, then other wells in regions with lower excreta loading rates would not likely be contaminated. Includes 28 references, table.