In the year 1999 - 2000, drinking contaminated water from the private well occurred 26% drinking water epidemic and made people sick in the US alone. The US Environmental Protection Agency & # 39; s (EPA) rules that protect public drinking water systems do not Most of them have private wells, but these rules may not completely protect your private well.
The local health authorities in your area or environmental department can help help advice you.
Check Your Well Water System
You should also have your well tested if there are known problems with well water in your area, or you have experienced problems near your well ie, flooding, land disturbances, and nearby waste dumping sites or you replace or repair any part of your well system.
To Determine If Well Water is Contaminated
You can get in touch with your health department or your environment department or a private water testing laboratory in your area to test for germs and unsafe chemicals. It is On the other hand, as a private well owner, it is up to you to preserve your well and have it tested frequently.
Germs and Chemicals in Well Water
Some germs and chemicals crop up naturally. For example, heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and cadmium are naturally found in rocks and soil and sometimes leak into ground water. Other pollutants come from human and animal waste generated from polluted storm water runoff, agricultural runoff, flood drains, or individual septic tank systems that are not working appropriateately.
Types of Germs and Chemicals Found
Certain germs and chemicals can cause illness in drinking water and be a risk to your health. Frequent tests should be performed, which are listed as follows:
Total Coliform - Coliform bacteria are microbes found in the digestive systems of warm-blooded animals, in soil, on plants, and in surface water. If the total coliform count is high, then it is very possible that harmful germs like viruses, bacteria, and parasites might also be found in the water.
Fecal Coliform / Escherichia coli - Fecal coliform bacteria found in feces (or stool) and digestive systems of humans and warm - blooded animals contain millions of fecal coliforms. These harmful germs can cause diarrhea, dysentery, and hepatitis.
Nitrate - Nitrate are naturally found in many types of food, nitrate in drinking water can make people sick. Nitrate in your well water can come from animal waste, private septic systems, wastewater, flood sewers, polluted storm water runoff, fertilizers , agricultural runoff, and decaying plants. If the nitrate level in your water is higher than the EPA standards, you should not for other sources of water or ways to treat your water.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) - VOCs are industrial and fuel - related chemicals that may cause bad health effects at certain levels. Carbon tetrachloride, toluene, trichloroethelene, and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).
pH-The The pH level of the water can change how your water looks and tastes. If the pH of your water is too low or too high, it may damage your pipes, cause heavy metals like lead to leak out of the pipes into the water, and eventually make you sick.
Other germs or harmful chemicals
Other germs or harmful chemicals that you should test on will your dependency on which yours live in an urban or rural area. These tests are included testing for lead, arsenic, mercury , radium, and other pesticides.
You must contact your local health or environmental department for help and test your water more you.
What if the Well Water has Odd Smell or flavor
If you notice a change in your water quality, you should have it tested.
Where to go for well water tests
Local or State health or environmental departments long test for bacteria and nitrates. Health or environmental departments, or county governments should have a list of the state-certified (licensed) laboratories in your area that test for a variety of substances.
