Groundwater and wells: How to reduce

risks to your water supply

CliffTreyens,NGWAPublicAwarenessDirector
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PurposeofWebinar:
T k th t t f i f Take the mystery out of caring for your
water well system.
Teach you how to reduce
i k t t l risks to your water supply.
It t k t i ! Its not rocket science!
Four basic steps: Four basic steps:
Proper well location and construction
Regular well system maintenance
Water testing & treatment
Groundwater protection
Well location & construction Well location & construction
Qualifiedwater well systemcontractor or Qualified water well system contractor or
hydrogeologist should determine well location.
Whats qualified?
How to Find a Contractor @
www wellowner org www.wellowner.org
R l ll t Regular well system
maintenance maintenance
W ll i t d Well maintenance reduces
risks to water
supply by catching broken or supply by catching broken or
deteriorating well components
Well maintenance prevents
costly and inconvenient
breakdowns.
Well maintenance checklist @
ll www.wellowner.org
Equipment to make sure Equipment to make sure
its sanitary
Flowrate Flow rate
Pump performance
Pressure tank
Pressure switch contacts
Oth i t Other maintenance:
Service water treatment
equipment according to
manufacturers
recommendations.
Regularly check your
well cap to make sure
its not loose or broken.
Water testing
Questions: Questions:
How often should I test?
What should I test?
How do I interpret results?
What if there is a health concern?
Step 1: As part of your well maintenance,
check to see if your well system needs
cleaning.
Why?
Debris in wells can harbor
bacterial growth and impair
disinfection.
Step 2: What and when to test
www wellowner org www.wellowner.org
Test annually:
B t i Bacteria
Nitrates
A thi f l l Anything of local concern
(naturally occurring or manmade)
Test immediately if:
Change in waters taste,
odor, or appearance
Broken well cap or new
contamination source contamination source
Recurrent gastrointestinal Recurrent gastrointestinal
illnesses
Test immediately if:
Pregnant woman or infant
living in house g
Dangerous contaminant
in neighbors water
Check treatment Check treatment
equipment performance
W t t ti l b Water testing labs
Start by checking with your county health or
i t l h lth d t t environmental health department
Or check with your states drinking water laboratory Or check with your states drinking water laboratory
certification officer
National testing labs: www.ul.com or
www.ntllabs.com
Water qualitywww.wellowner.org
Checking water test results:
Ask water testing lab about
h lth i k any health risks
Or check results against the Or check results against the
U.S. EPAs MCL (Maximum
Contaminant Level) )
List applied to public
water systems
Water treatment
If, after well maintenance,
health risks remain, talk
with a qualified water well q
system contractor about
appropriate treatment. pp p
Groundwater Quality Basics-- Groundwater Quality Basics
www.wellowner.org
Getting the right water treatment
Make sure the treatment
devices specifications
match:
Th b t d The substances you need
to treat
The concentrations of the The concentrations of the
substances you wish to treat
Groundwater protection Groundwater protection
Locate any abandoned wells on your property
Water well contractor should make sure abandoned well is
properly decommissioned p p y
Have your septic system checked regularly
Keep roof and other drainage away from septic
absorption field
Proper use, store and dispose of
hazardous household substances
(dont dump, flush or pour down drain)
Hazardous household substances examples:
Gasoline & oil
Paints and paint
thinner
Fertilizers
Weed killers
Pesticides
Cleaning products
Summary: You can greatly reduce Summary: You can greatly reduce
risks to your water supply by:
Proper well location and construction
R l ll t i t Regular well system maintenance
Water testing & treatment
G d t t ti Groundwater protection
www.wellowner.org
Questions? Questions?
Formoreinformation...
www.wellowner.org