Partner Blog

A Bored Well Drilling Demonstration

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 20:11:23 GMT

On October 20, 2021, the Illinois State Water Survey staff were invited to a bored well drilling demonstration in North Central Illinois. Professor Mike Phillips, from Illinois Valley Community College, invited ISWS staff to view the construction of a new bored well. Reynold’s Well Drilling, Riverton, IL, was contracted to construct the well. Reynold’s Well Drilling only installs large-diameter bored wells, typically 30-40 wells every year. According to the driller onsite, they have been busier in the last 5-6 years. The entire process took 4-5 hours and was estimated to cost around $15,000. Reynolds was contracted to drill the well and a separate contractor, Lutes H2O Well Drilling Inc. was contracted to install the distribution lines to home the following day.

Regarding the existing hand-dug large diameter well on the property, the owner mentioned that the sample from that well was tested in 1999 when the home was purchased. The test results showed that the drinking water was high in coliform bacteria, nitrates, iron, and manganese. In response, the Phillips installed a UV treatment system and water softener. The water hasn’t been tested since the initial test in 1999. The old well is brick lined well and about 23 feet deep. The water yield for the old well was 5 gallons per minute.

Figure 1. Well Cover for Brick Lined Well

Figure 2. A View Down into the Brick Lined Well

Figure 3. Drill Rig, Trailer, and Water Truck

The process began with selection of a location for the new well. They chose a location in the front yard and approximately 15-20 feet from the driveway. The drillers began by setting up their truck over the chosen location. Once in place, they started digging, using a 36-inch dirt bucket that removes 1ft of dirt per pass.

Figure 4. Drill Rig Set up over the Well Location

The digging continued for several passes, and a large mound of dirt accumulated near the new well. Once there was a depth of 16 ft removed, a metal sleeve was placed in the top 16 feet of the new well. The sleeve worked as a guard to prevent the dirt along the sides from caving in, which allowed the drillers to continue to dig deeper.

Figure 5. Drill Cuttings

Figure 6. Metal Sleeve to Prevent Cave In

Figure 7. Metal Sleeve In Place in the Borehole

Figure 8. Water From the Bucket Indicates Saturated Material

Drilling continued until water was evident in the drill cuttings. When the driller determined they were at a sufficient depth, they prepared the well for installation.

The well was constructed from a single length of fiberglass casing. To allow water into the well, thin slits were cut into the bottom section of the well. Centralizers were attached in three places equidistant apart which acted as stabilizers to position well casing upright and center it in the borehole. Water was pumped into the annulus to hold pressure to the sides to prevent caving, while a vertical metal beam was used to hold down the fiberglass well casing, so it didn’t float. Filter sand and gravel placed in the annulus served to both hold the well in place, allow for additional water storage around the well, and to help filter the water in the formation before it can get into the well.

Figure 9. Driller Cutting Slits in the Well Casing

Figure 10. Close Up of the Cut Slits in the Well Casing

Figure 11. Fastening Centralizers and A Lid to Lower the Casing into the Well Borehole

Figure 12. Lowering the Well Casing into the Borehole

Figure 13. Adding Water into the Annulus Around the Well

Figure 14. Adding Sand and Gravel into the Annulus Around the Well

To finish the well, water is pumped from the new well until it runs clear, a cap is added to the fiberglass well screen, a submersible pump is installed, and a 6-inch PVC well casing is installed from the fiberglass well cap to the surface. The sleeve is then removed, and the upper portion of the well bore is filled with clay or concrete. At the end of the drilling process, the total depth of the borehole was 43 ft on the bottom, 13 ft at the top, and the top of the water was reached at 22ft. The well will be able to provide 8 gallons/minute. The last responsibility for the driller is to complete a well log and file it with the county health department.

Figure 15. Developing the Well by Pumping It Until the Water Runs Clear

Figure 16. The Fiberglass Cap and 6-inch PVC Casing that will Extend to the Surface

A Gradual Return to In-Person Outreach for the Illinois State Water Survey

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 20:04:29 GMT

In August and early September, staff from the Illinois State Water Survey participated in both the 2021 Illinois State Fair in Springfield, IL and the 2021 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, IL. At the Illinois State Fair, the ISWS had a booth in the “Conservation World” from August 13-15 and August 20-22. According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the 2021 Illinois State Fair saw over 472,000 visitors, making it the second highest attended fair since the department began tracking formal attendance numbers in 2014.

In addition, the ISWS had a booth in the “Partners in Conservation” tent from August 31-September 2 at the Farm Progress Show. The Farm Progress Show is the nation’s largest outdoor farm event and attendees and included producers from 46 states and around the world. ISWS estimated to have directly helped at least 278 private well owners at the Illinois State Fair over 6 days and at least 230 private well owners at the Farm Progress Show over 3 days, with many signing up for the Private Well Class.

The Private Well Class program is a free, grant-funded program that provides education and outreach, both online and in-person, to boost knowledge and competency of well owners as well as the thousands of dedicated environmental health, cooperative extension, and water well professionals that serve well owners every day.

Staff not only discussed the water cycle and the role that groundwater has in it, but also had an interactive sand tank flow model that demonstrates how groundwater moves in an aquifer and how contamination can affect private wells using colored dye. The display included a working hand pump for kids to try, which demonstrated how everyone in the “good old days” got water from a well. Private well owners in attendance also had the opportunity to chat with our Privatewellclass.org staff and experts. Information was provided on how to sign up for the free 10-lesson Private Well Class, how to get your well water tested, and where to find other resources available for well owners who want to learn more about how to properly care for their well.

A Time of Virtual Transition for Penn State Extension

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 14:38:13 GMT

It’s no doubt that COVID-19 has forced many organizations to adapt, and this was true for Penn State Extension and their robust private well training program. Bryan Swistock, Water Resources Coordinator and Senior Extension Associate, has received more than 1300 registrations for a recent Water Webinar Series.

Traditionally, Penn State Extension has done in-person “Safe Drinking Water Clinic” workshops throughout Pennsylvania, but many workshops were cancelled when COVID-19 restrictions started in March. According to Swistock, the lack of the in-person option was a major challenge for the program.

When asked about what Penn State did to solve this problem, he said, ”We decided to try our first webinar in mid-April and were surprised when 240 folks registered. We did have somewhat of an advantage because our Extension system had been migrating to more online content for several years and had created topic-based email lists. So, we were able to advertise the webinar to people who had expressed an interest in private drinking water content.”

Given the success of the first webinar in April, Swistock and his team decided to follow up with a series of eight weekly webinars on specific private water issues. The topics, dates, and attendance numbers are listed below:

· Sources of Information for Private Water Supply Owners - 6/24/2020, 131 registrants

· Lead and Copper from Corrosive Water, 7/1/2020, 91 registrants

· Bacteria in Wells and Springs, 7/8/2020, 249 registrants

· Iron, Manganese, and Hydrogen Sulfide in Wells, 7/15/2020, 239 registrants

· Roadside and Household Spring Water Issues, 7/22/2020, 167 registrants

· Nitrates in Private Water Supplies, 7/29/2020, 190 registrants

· Water Treatment Processes for Household Drinking Water, 8/5/2020, 191 registrants

· Ask the Experts About Drinking Water, 8/12/2020, 97+ registrants

The series was ultimately successful and another series of eight webinars is planned for this fall on different topics.

As far as obstacles go, there has been a separate challenge for some of Penn State Extension’s grant-funded programming. For those workshops, free water testing has always been provided, which is paid by the grant. In order to maintain water testing with webinars, Swistock’s team has experimented with sending water test kits to webinar attendees with pre-paid return mailing labels. This way, participants can mail the water samples back to their lab via overnight mail (to meet holding times for bacteria, etc.).

The advantage of this system is reduced travel time and costs, but the disadvantage is that they need to provide two separate webinars; one to teach people about private water supplies and how to collect their sample and a second to help them understand their results. The reduced travel costs from the traditional methods are also offset by the increased postage costs to have samples overnight mailed to the lab.

While the new webinar series has allowed private well education to continue in Pennsylvania, Swistock acknowledges that this model can miss homeowners who don’t have internet access.

Disaster Preparedness for Septic System Owners

Mon, 29 Jul 2019 18:15:27 GMT

As we continue to encounter extreme weather events in 2019, it’s important for septic system owners to be aware of their role in natural disaster preparation, response, and recovery. A natural disaster can include anything from a major hurricane, earthquake, wildfire, seasonal flooding, cold weather event, or an unforeseen power outage. During these events, septic system owners can either prevent or encourage drinking water contamination, the spread of disease, injuries, and hefty recovery expenses depending on their response.

A recent webinar by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency highlighted some great resources septic system owners and sanitarians can use in disaster preparation. One of the best tools was developed by the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) this year to provide guidance to septic system users before, during, and after a disaster. What’s frequently included in most of these guidelines is to maintain a healthy, leak proof system. Owners should keep documentation of their system components that include photos, a description of the tank location, and who to call for assistance. Before a disaster, users should turn off system power and reduce water use. When a seasonal vacation home is left empty, the septic system should already be prepared for a natural disaster. During the disaster, proceed to follow the emergency and evacuation advice for your area. Correspond with your local health department and have the system inspected before returning to regular use when the emergency has passed.

With roughly 20% of U.S. houses relying on a septic systems, it’s important that owners are educated and aware of how to respond during a natural disaster. Check out NEHA’s guidelines to make sure you’re ready!

Blog contribution was written by Jill Wallitschek

Can you explain reverse osmosis treatment and discuss its limitations and what it is effective at treating?

Sat, 30 Mar 2019 22:00:00 GMT

Question

Can you explain reverse osmosis treatment and discuss its limitations and what it is effective at treating?

Answer

Reverse osmosis is a water treatment process which primarily involves pushing water through a semipermeable membrane to separate pure water molecules from other ions, molecules, and larger particles. It is important to first understand the term “osmosis.” Osmosis is the movement of a solvent (like water) through a semipermeable membrane, from a less concentrated solution to a more concentrated solution. This natural process will continue until concentrations are equal. Pressure can be applied to the more concentrated side of the membrane to stop this flow, and this is called the osmotic pressure. If even more pressure is applied, in excess of the osmotic pressure, the flow is reversed. This technique/process is called reverse-osmosis. See figure 1 (EPA, 1):

Figure 1: osmosis and reverse osmosis visualized

While the membrane material and its interactions with the various components present in the solution is an important factor in determining removal efficiency, you can generally think of an RO membrane as a very fine filter, with the pore size being a primary guiding factor of what can be removed. Of the common membrane filtration technologies (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis), reverse-osmosis has the smallest general pore size, approximately 0.0001 micron (CDC, 2). This is small enough to remove most bacteria, viruses, and many common chemical contaminants.

A typical household reverse-osmosis system is shown in Figure 2. Most are point-of-use units meant to fit in small places, like under a sink. These systems typically have other filters (like a sediment filter and a carbon filter) in front of the RO membrane to help protect it and extend its life. They also will have a holding tank and a spout for dispensing the purified water. Some will have a carbon filter after the membrane for final polishing/cleanup. With units that are working properly, we typically expect to see a total dissolved solids removal rate of about 90% or more.

Figure 2: typical reverse-osmosis system (photo by Dan Webb)

Reverse osmosis systems are generally effective at removing (1, 2, 3):

Bacteria
Viruses
Protozoa
Total dissolved solids
Inorganic ions and salts, like sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, lead, fluoride, aluminum, barium, cadmium, hardness, iron, manganese, nitrate, radium, selenium, sulfate.

Some may also remove arsenic, chlorine, and organic compounds, but often these can be difficult to remove, depending on various conditions. Most (probably all) systems will have a carbon filter within the unit, and this should help reduce the concentration of chlorine and organic components. It should also be noted that while RO system will remove microorganisms, it is best to use other methods to prevent these before they get to this treatment stage. If living organisms are present and get do get through the membrane, they can cause biological growth later, like in the final carbon filter, if one is present.

The nature of the membrane material, the chemical properties of the target contaminant, and the pH of the water can all affect removal efficiency. Charged species like ions tend to be more easily removed than neutral, uncharged components. For typical groundwater, with a pH of around 7 – 8, and typical reverse osmosis systems, boron can be difficult to remove. Similarly, arsenic can be challenging to remove sometimes, likely due to the nature of the arsenic species in groundwater sources. Arsenic typically occurs in water in two oxidation states: As(III), “arsenic three,” arsenite; and As(V), “arsenic five,” arsenate. Arsenic(III) tends to be present as an uncharged form H₃AsO₃, and is typically more difficult to remove than arsenic(V), which usually exists as H₂AsO₄^- or HAsO₄^2-(both charged species). Some consumers have had good luck improving arsenic removal by adding an oxidation step (like chlorine) ahead of the RO unit.

To check specific analytes, it may be helpful to check NSF’s list of certified reverse osmosis drinking water treatment systems: http://info.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/Listings.asp?TradeName=&Standard=058&ProductType=&PlantState=&PlantCountry=&PlantRegion=&submit3=Search&hdModlStd=ModlStd

Reverse osmosis systems produce about 1 gallon of purified water for every 4 gallons of water fed into the system, with the rest diverted to a waste drain. This can vary between units, though, so if this is a concern, it is important to research this ahead of time.

The end water produced by reverse osmosis should have very low mineralization, with properties similar to distilled water. The pH will be low (can vary, but generally be slightly acidic… around 6 pH units), but because there is very little buffering capacity, this will generally change quickly as it mixes with other solutions or solids, and typically this is not a concern for consumption of RO water.

As with other water treatment devices, it is important to remember to maintain reverse osmosis systems properly. As mentioned earlier, there will often be filters in place within the unit ahead of the membrane, and many consumers will have other/external treatments devices, first, like water softeners. These treatment steps and filters help to prevent fouling of the membrane, which helps to keep it at peak removal efficiency. Fouling can result from microbial growth/contamination, hardness/mineral precipitation, organic hydrocarbon coating, or particle accumulation on the surface of the membrane. Pre-membrane filters and post-membrane filters, in addition to the membrane itself, should be replaced on a regular basis to keep the unit working properly. Frequency will depend on the water conditions and household use.

References:

1) US EPA, EPA 815-R-06-009: MEMBRANE FILTRATION GUIDANCE MANUAL

2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A Guide to Drinking Water Treatment Technologies for Household Use.

3) NSF: Consumer Fact Sheet, What is Reverse Osmosis

FAQ response provided by Daniel Webb, Illinois State Water Survey Chemist / Public Service Laboratory Coordinator, (217) 244-0625, danwebb@illinois.edu

Words of Wisdom from a Well Owner

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 22:30:56 GMT

Many of the private well owners we come into contact with have been on the fence about testing their well water. We recently received an email from a well owner that was willing to share his experience with others to encourage them not to wait as long as he did (13 years!) to have their well water tested. We interviewed Ralph W. from North Carolina to learn more about his experience and the outcome from the perspective of a well owner.

Q: Can you please give me a little bit of bio on your home and private well? How long have you lived in your home?

RW: 13 years.

Q: Did you know there was a private well when you bought it?

RW: Yes.

Q: What were your initial thoughts on the private well?

RW: I grew up with well water and preferred it to the taste of city water, plus it meant not having to pay a water bill.

Q: Did you drink water from your private well while you lived there?

RW: Yes.

Q: When was the first time you tested your well water and what finally made you decide to test your private well?

RW: We had the water tested for bacteria about 12 years ago and the report showed no coliform contamination. In the summer of 2018 we had the water tested by the City of Raleigh Health Department for all of the organic and inorganic tests that they do and subsequently received a phone call telling us to stop drinking the water because it was contaminated with dieldrin. We tested because of urging from the privatewellclass.org website and from my wife. I thought it was going to be a waste of money.

Q: What was your experience with the well testing?

RW: For $225, the city health department sent out a representative who collected and submitted the water samples.

Q: What contaminants did you test the water for?

RW: In addition to retesting for coliform bacteria, tests were run for a wide range of inorganic minerals and an even wider range of possible organic contaminants.

Q: Did the results surprise you?

RW: It shocked us!

Q: What did the test results say after you had your well tested? Did anything surprise you about your test results?

RW: Yes! We learned that the well water was contaminated with 2 ppb of a very toxic pesticide.

Q: What sort of treatment did you have to do after you received the results?

RW: We immediately switched to drinking bottled water until we could be connected to city water which was available on our street.

Q: Did you receive any aid to treat your water?

RW: Yes. A state administered fund paid the entire cost of connecting to city water and closing the well.

Q: What advice would you give to a well owner who might be on the fence about testing their well?

RW: I very much regret not having tested the water sooner.

Testing your well regularly is probably the most important thing a well owner can do to protect their family’s health. We recommend sampling for nitrate and coliform bacteria annually. These constituents are common and provide an indicator that there is likely a pathway into your well from or near the surface. We also suggest contacting your local health agency for advice and additional information on sampling for additional constituents once every 3 -5 years.

Brochures? For Sure!

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 21:38:49 GMT

How do you get your message out? In-person workshops? What about online webinars or social media? Do flyers still work? What about brochures?

Professionals conducting education and outreach activities often wonder if brochures have gone out of style. We, at the Private Well Class, recently launched a campaign to distribute several thousand brochures—and it was a resounding success! This indicates that brochures are not quite yet a way of the past. If you have ever considered a campaign featuring brochures, flyers, or pamphlets, consider what we have learned from our most recent campaign.

We often discuss barriers to reaching well owners, both behaviorally and demographically. Using a combination of online and in-person methods to help educate individual private well owners helps us extend our reach. This year, our staff developed and distributed a Spanish and English version of a brochure for partners to hand out to well owners. The brochure contains information on useful steps that a well owner can take to make sure that their drinking water is actually safe to consume.

In order to reach as many well owners as possible, we ordered and mailed out brochures for partners to distribute, at no cost to them. Extending the network through our partners was a key component of this campaign. By helping one another, both parties benefitted – our partners received free brochures to help well owners in their county, while we were able to extend our universal message of helping well owners be a better steward of their well and water system.

For the first brochure mailing, we mailed out over 31,000 copies of our English and Spanish brochures. In our second brochure mailing, we are planning to send out 21,000 more.

We asked partners who have received the brochures to give us their feedback. Some of the responses were insightful in terms of how the brochures were distributed and why they were so popular among partners:

“Thank you for providing these brochures. We are a small Health Department with limited funding so this enables us to provide quality education to our well owners.” - Toledo, IL

“Thank you so much for providing this resource. It is a great place to start a conversation with a well owner about being a good steward of their drinking water.” - Columbus, OH

“I think this is a fantastic idea for private owners.” - Montesano, WA

“I pass these out to the well owners when I sample their wells. I also hand them out at health fairs and environmental festivals. Very useful information.” - Wyandotte, OK

“We distribute to real estate agents who work closely with property owners on wells.” - Lincoln City, OR

Want brochures to distribute? Have a questions? You can email us at info@privatewellclass.org to be placed on the wait list for our next mailing or to reach us with your inquiry.

Free Class Now Part of NEHA's Updated eLearning Center

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 17:41:11 GMT

More than two years ago we announced the availability of our free class on the National Environmental Health Association's eLearning platform, with 10 pre-approved CEs for environmental health professionals.

NEHA recently switched technology providers and we are excited to share that our class has made the move. Plus, it's now trackable within your NEHA account.

The Private Well Course is a 10-lesson, self-paced version of The Private Well Class, our 10-week email program for well owners. There's no need to wait. You can access everything at once when you log on with NEHA. Here's how you can access this content for free and without being NEHA member:

Step 1. Create a free account or log in to an existing account on the MyNEHA member portal.

Step 2. If you are asked to purchase a membership, press the "Cancel" button. You will be redirected to a dashboard.

Step 3. Click the "Online Store" tab and then the "NEHA Partner Courses" link.

Step 4. Locate "The Private Well Course" and click the "Add to Cart" button.

Step 5. Click the "View Shopping Cart" link in the upper right.

Step 6. Press the "Checkout" button. You will be directed to a confirmation screen.

Step 7. Press the "Place Order" button.

Step 8. Check your email and follow the instructions to access your course at neha.moonami.com using your MyNEHA login credentials.

Note: We are unable to provide support for NEHA login or continuing education issues. If you have any difficulty, you may email sezcurra@neha.org for customer service.

The Force Behind our Spanish Language Program

Sat, 30 Jun 2018 23:00:00 GMT

Forward by Steve Wilson:

About 4 years ago, we realized there was a need for Spanish language materials for the Private Well Class. Being at the University of Illinois and as an alum of the Civil Engineering program, I reached out to a professor I knew, Dr. Marcelo Garcia, to ask if he knew of any native Spanish speaking grad students that might be interested in working with us to translate our materials. He introduced me to Santiago Santacruz, a PhD student from Columbia who was here on a Fulbright and was really interested in what we wanted to do. Santiago was engaging, intelligent, and shared that one of his frustrations were technical materials that were poorly translated from English. He pointed out a number of examples of inappropriate translation and after our first meeting, I knew we had found the perfect person to help us. Santiago translated not only the class text, but also all of the figures in the text, and did an amazing job. Since then, he has worked on videos, conducted webinars, among other things.

Then, about 2 years ago, Ana Chara and Santiago got married. Ana was working on her PhD at the University of British Columbia. When she was finished she moved here and as Santiago’s student responsibilities changed, she was able to start working for us as well. By now, others had seen the work that Santiago had completed and we were asked if we could support other translation activities. The most exciting being the translation of 6 water operator videos, developed by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, into Spanish. Ana did an amazing job, not only did she translate the videos, but she also had to memorize lines and be on camera to replace the English speaker in the original videos. She was a natural. She also developed a Spanish language video for homeowners on how to sample for lead, for a specific research project going on at the University.

We have relied on Santiago and Ana for so many things, they have been wonderful to work with. So, today, I wanted to share more of their story with everyone involved with the class. Santiago is finishing his PhD this summer and he and Ana will be going back home to Columbia in the near future. I can’t say enough how great they have been to work with, how much they have meant to our program, and how much they will be missed. They are both intelligent, driven people who I feel so lucky to have known. We all wish them the best.

Below, Katie asked them to answer a few questions that provide more detail about their Private Well Class work that gives you a better feel about who they are and some ideas and things to consider if you plan to translate your materials. At the end of the post are links to the Private Well Class Spanish materials, as well as the videos for water operators on operation and maintenance issues.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourselves:

[Santiago]: I’m a Civil Engineer from Colombia. I am currently working on my PhD in Hydraulics at U of I. Water will always be a key topic for any society, it could be either a blessing or great threat. I want to help to facilitate access to clean water, protect communities from floods and droughts, and to guarantee that future generations can also benefit from healthy streams, wetlands, aquifers, and beaches.

[Ana]: I’m a Colombian Biologist with a M.Sc. in Aquatic Sciences from the University of Michigan, and a Ph.D. in Freshwater Ecology from the University of British Columbia. I am interested in studying how human activities impact freshwater ecosystems and water resources, in order to facilitate the development of strategies to protect them.

Q: How did you get initially become involved with Spanish translation for the Private Well Class and Water Operator at the Illinois State Water Survey?

[Santiago]: I heard of this opportunity through my adviser, Prof. M. H. Garcia. It was a nice opportunity to help many that speak my language, to empower them by facilitating access to valuable information on their own well system.

Q: You were both involved in many facets of the program. What were some of the things that each of you had to do?

[Santiago]: My first task was to translate the entire Manual for Homeowners with Water Wells. I participated in a couple Live Webinars in Spanish, help to setup the Spanish website for the Private Well Class project. I also had to learn how to record audios, and edit videos for over 15 videoclips we translated to Spanish.

[Ana]: I helped with the translation of the video clips Santiago mentioned above and also had the great opportunity of participating in the shooting of the Spanish version of six RCAP videos. Recently, I participated in the translation of guidelines (videos, instruction sheets) for the collection of lead (Pb) samples.

Q: Of all the projects that you assisted with, what did you enjoy the most?

[Ana]: The experience of shooting the RCAP videos was definitely my favorite. I’m used to public speaking, but being the presenter in a video was completely new for me. It was a lot of fun!

Q: What do you think is the #1 problem of programs that attempt dual language content?

[Santiago]: In the US, the lack of detailed and specific materials compared to English content you can easily find in the websites of local and federal agencies. It’s a pity we suggest our Spanish audience to check out more details on a document that is in English, without even having technical dictionary to translate some concepts or names.

Q: What is your take-home-message for programs using a bilingual approach to their content?

[Ana]: Getting help from a native speaker who also has a basic understanding of the topic is crucial. There are many technical words and concepts that may not be translated accurately if one does not have a technical understanding of the subject matter. Computer translations are far from doing a job that reads/sound natural, and gets worse for special topics like groundwater and wells.

Q: When did you personally feel the most challenged when working on our projects?

[Santiago]: Finding the most accepted name or expression for a technical name. Spanish is a rich and diverse language, spoken by an entire continent. For instance, tap is commonly referred as grifo in Mexico, llave in Colombia, and canilla in Argentina. But canilla is shin in Colombia.

[Ana]: I agree with Santiago. Even among Latin American Spanish speakers there are huge differences in usage of words and even the tone. One thing we struggled often with was deciding whether to use usted or tu in our translations. Both words mean you but the first is more formal and respectful, which would be the default in countries like Colombia. However, in many other Latin American countries like Mexico, people may prefer to use tu. It is a subtle difference and both forms would be understood, but we wanted to make sure the translations sounded as natural as possible to our intended audience.

Q: What is your opinion regarding the need for a correctly translated Spanish versions of documents for water resource and private well related issues?

[Santiago]: Private well is the main water supply for millions in the US. Education and training on water wells help these people to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases, but more importantly to keep the aquifers safe for everybody, not only for Spanish speakers. Nobody trust a poorly written document, because instructions are not clear, but ambiguous and cause confusions, which is completely opposite to its purpose. For many well owner that feel more confident in Spanish than in English, this is a great way to reach them out, and assist them to help us all to keep our aquifers in good conditions.

Q: What do you think is the best way of reaching the Spanish speaking communities in the U.S.?

[Ana]: Providing good quality materials in Spanish is a great strategy. Language may be an important barrier for people, especially when it comes to technical material. The effort to translate this important information and making it available for free is a good starting point to reach these communities.

Q: For the duration of your time working on projects with the Illinois State Water Survey and PrivateWellClass.org, did anything surprise you or did you learn anything unexpected?

[Santiago]: I realized how limited is the information for non-English speakers, and it was surprising how little content was available even in States where the Spanish-speaking population is very large. But also was a nice surprise to know that the ISWS at U of I is doing such a great effort to assist all these well-owners on their own language.

[Ana]: I was surprised to learn there is such a big portion of the population depending on private wells for their water supply in the States. I was even more surprised to find out private well owners are mostly on their own when it comes to the operation and maintenance of their water systems. That is why the work ISWS is doing to support and train private well owners is so important!

Spanish Language Resources:

The Spanish Language Private Well Class – www.clasepozosprivados.org

Spanish Private Well videos (YouTube playlist) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9rgMXzDxks&list=PL2jExPDtEDs5afPxPOX4FENUdfqIduuhU

RCAP Spanish Water Operator Videos:

- Protección de la Calidad del Agua en el Sistema de Distribución https://vimeo.com/234746215
- Inspección Periódica de un Reservorio de Agua https://vimeo.com/234561979
- Calidad del Agua en Instalaciones de Almacenamiento https://vimeo.com/234561698
- Buenas Prácticas para el Muestreo de Coliformes https://vimeo.com/234557994
- Medición del Cloro Residual https://vimeo.com/234557428
- Inspección y Vaciado https://vimeo.com/234869819

Advice from 2018’s Pledge to Test Winner

Tue, 08 May 2018 18:37:56 GMT

The Private Well Class celebrated 2018’s National Groundwater Awareness Week with the 3rd annual Pledge to Test campaign. Well owners were invited to pledge to get their well water tested. One participant was randomly selected to be reimbursed for the cost of testing the private well water at their residence, up to $200.

The randomly selected winner was Chad H. from Bellevue, WA. Chad owns a cabin that has a private well. We wanted to find out what Chad’s water testing experience was like and what sort of challenges he faced. Chad had his well water tested at AM Test Laboratories in Kirkland, WA.

Q: How did you hear about the Pledge to Test campaign from The Private Well Class?

CH: I heard about it via your Partner Newsletter.

Q: What made you interested in testing your private well water?

CH: I was concerned about family health and safety. I grew up on farms in the Midwest and had well water. With all the chemicals used on the farm ground, testing was something that was done, but not routinely, due to access to sample testing locations.

Q: What was the most challenging thing about collecting the sample or getting the test bottles?

CH: The most challenging thing was the about taking a sample was the proximity to the water testing laboratory. It is over 3 hours away from the house we had sampled. The house is cabin of ours.

Q: What was one thing about taking a sample that surprised you?

CH: Nothing really surprised me when taking this sample.

Q: After you received the results, was there anything that you changed in your home? Like adding a filtration system?

CH: Our water tests came back negative, meaning nothing was needed for system changes. Our current system includes a sediment filter.

Q: What piece of advice would you tell other private well owners about testing their well water, other than to get it tested?

CH: I would recommend setting up a routine, like when changing clocks and/or smoke alarm batteries as a reminder. It is easy to forget about, especially if nothing is noticed regarding the taste or smell of home. Testing is easy, although can be potentially expensive due to proximity to lab(s) and/or testing fees.

Celebrating Earth Day with the Peoria Clean Water Celebration

Tue, 01 May 2018 16:39:51 GMT

On April 23, Ken Hlinka, Katie Buckley, and Hideyuki Terashima represented the Illinois State Water Survey at the 26th SUN Foundation Clean Water Celebration in Peoria, IL. The Sun Foundation for the Advancement on the Environmental Sciences and Arts is organized exclusively for education, scientific, and charitable purposes. The event took place in the Peoria Civic Center from 9:00AM to 2:00PM where 337 volunteers from 39 groups, organizations, and agencies were represented, including the Illinois EPA, The Dickson Mounds Museum, Girl Scouts of America, Living Lands and Waters, and more. The event was attended by 2,043 students and 153 adults from 37 different schools.

ISWS staff described the water cycle, demonstrated how groundwater moves under the ground using two different sand tank models, and demonstrated a hand pump for the middle schoolers in attendance. Students were asked about the water cycle, which many students were already familiar with, so they were encouraged to describe the parts of the cycle on their own before the focus was turned to groundwater. Using the two groundwater flow models, a Septic System Simulator and Groundwater Flow Simulator, they described how groundwater and contaminants flow through the ground. Using colored dye, they showed how contamination can flow towards private wells. The take home message really resonated with some of the students as they asked questions and wanted to experiment with different contamination scenarios. For the hand pump demonstration, the setup showed where water comes from and staff described the parts of the well.

For this event, students were given a set of questions that they had to get answered at each booth as they walked through the exhibit hall. Our questions were:

1. Water flows through the ground like _______ flows through a wire.

2. What should a private well owner do every year? Each student had to pay attention to the demonstration to get the answers they needed.

Events like the Clean Water Celebration are a unique opportunity to share information with students in an engaging and memorable way that they won’t get in the classroom. If you have an event list this in your area, we encourage you to participate and share your knowledge of private well and groundwater issues. If not, consider developing a stakeholder group to put one on. Private well and groundwater issues are not common curriculum in most schools, events like these can leave a lasting impression on a young student, especially if they live on a private well.

Hideyuki Terashima said, “I could tell that with some of the kids, it really just clicked. Seeing them experience groundwater hands-on really resonated with them."

Fairs, Festivals, and Farmers Markets - Oh My!

Fri, 06 Apr 2018 20:36:00 GMT

It’s no surprise that private well owners, in general, are hard to reach. This is because they can come from every social, economic, and educational demographic. The Private Well Class is always interested in how private well partners reach out to well owners in their area. We asked Alyson McCann about how she reaches well owners with her private well program.

But first, a little bit about Alyson; Alyson McCann is the Cooperative Extension Water Quality Coordinator in the College of Environment and Life Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. She has over 25 years of experience developing and delivering local, regional and national programs focused on water resource protection for a variety of audiences, the impact of which has been to affect behavior change to achieve public and environmental health protection. She has a history of effectively coordinating community and governmental engagement activities working with local, state, regional and federal partners to achieve water quality protection. Her work most notably focuses on private drinking water well protection; collaborating with the Rhode Island Department of Health and local communities to provide residents with the tools and resources needed to protect their drinking water quality; and providing technical assistance to private well owners to facilitate action to protect their health, their families’ health and the environment. She has developed numerous private well protection tip sheets and provides educational programs and technical assistance to both well owners and professional audiences. Program materials are audience-tested with focus groups and interviews to achieve clear communication that results in measured program impacts and audience behavior change.

McCann is also a member of URI’s GeoSpatial Extension Program and develops and trains professionals in the use of geospatial technologies and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). She is currently a reviewer for the Journal of Extension. She has worked with and mentored numerous graduate and undergraduate students.

What made you decide to promote your program during the Rhode Island farmer’s markets and fairs?

AM: We dedicated program efforts to an intensive Intercept Campaign as a pilot project in 2015 and have continued to expand and build upon these efforts to increase our effectiveness. In addition to offering community workshops - where people have to come to us - we wanted to be in places where people are already going – they didn’t need to make a special effort to interact with us. Community farmers markets, fairs and festivals seemed like a logical place to start. A team of well-trained undergraduate Coastal Fellow students attend 2 – 3 community events and farmers markets weekly with our private well water display. Table 1 summarizes the number of events and number of people interacted with at these events. In 2017, we expanded upon the “Intercept Campaign” and piloted a facilitated well water testing kit pick up, where we distributed annual test kits from the RI State Health Lab and scheduled 4 community pick ups at which private well owners could return their well water sample, payment and paperwork to us and we would deliver the samples to the lab in Providence, RI. Since this program addition, we have seen an increase in the number of private well owners who have their drinking water well tested.

Table 1: Intercept Campaign Summary, 2015-2017

Year	Number of Events Attended	Number of private well owners interacted with	Number of people who returned a water sample to us for transport to RI State Health Lab
2015	38	901	*
2016	29	1030	*
2017	37	1125	52

* Facilitated testing not offered until 2017 pilot program.

How many events have you done and do you plan on doing more next summer?

AM: Please see Table 1 above. We are currently continuing this effort in 2018 attending winter markets, the RI Home Show and other community events. We are in the planning stages for summer efforts right now.

Have you formed any meaningful partnerships as a result of these outreach efforts?

AM: Absolutely! We make it a point to interact and stay in touch with market and event coordinators. We get invited back and the organizers of these events appreciate our participation. In addition, we are invited to participate in other community events.

In your opinion, how successful have you been at these events and how many water test kits did you give away?

AM: They are very successful. As you can see from Table 1 – we talk with lots of private well owners, many of who sign up for our quarterly newsletter and attend a local workshop. We plan to expand our water test kit efforts this summer. In addition, it is a highly successful opportunity for our undergraduate students. They receive fabulous training and experience interacting with people and providing education and technical assistance. Once our students are trained, we visit them at these events throughout the summer – checking in to see how they are doing, answering any of their concerns, etc. We also have weekly meetings scheduled to discuss how things are going in the field.

What has been the biggest challenge promoting your program at these events?

AM: It takes a few years to determine what events are most productive – meaning that community members are interested in the information we are providing and that the event is well attended.

What would you tell an organization who is considering participating in a farmer’s market or other local event in this manner?

AM: Make sure the event is in an area where your target audience is. You often have to give an event more than one try before determining if it is worth the time and effort to be there. Have fun. Typically, your audience is out to enjoy themselves at these events and if you can too, all the better.

Why Sometimes Newer Isn’t Always Better: Minnesota Department of Health’s Well Disinfection Guide

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 21:51:29 GMT

We always receive questions from homeowners across the country on how to properly disinfect a private well. There are many different private well disinfection guides available for private well owners through many public health, extension and state organizations across the U.S. The Private Well Class has used the Minnesota Department of Health’s Well Disinfection guide in our 10-week class and in our Resource Library. After careful review of all of the information on well disinfection available, our opinion is that the MDH guide is one of the best and most complete available.

However, in 2015, MDH updated the 2012 “Well and Water System Disinfection for Private Wells,” with a newer, shorter “Well Disinfection” guide. Honestly, we were disappointed in the new guide because in making it shorter, they also took out some of the details that made their guide so complete. The bottom line is that we are still referring private well owners to the 2012 version of the document in our resource library and in our lessons. The step-by-step process hasn’t changed much between the two, but the supporting information has. The content in the 2012 version is not only more in-depth, but it provides more background information that tells you why you are doing something in the process instead of just how to do it. It clearly explains what disinfection is and what might cause contamination of the well and water system.

The 2012 version addresses two important questions about disinfection, “How Often Should a Well be Tested?” and “When Should a Well be Disinfected?” It provides sound advice, some of which is missing in the newer version. Understanding when to disinfect is an important issue, we often talk to private well owners who have/are disinfecting their well when it is not necessary.

The only time you should disinfect your well is after sampling indicates you have bacteria. Testing should be completed annually, as well as any time the well has been opened, or there has been an event that has impacted your well (after a flood, fire, repairs, etc.).

The Minnesota Department of Health’s Well Management Program stands out as a leader among their peers and we often refer well owners to their materials. We thought it worth noting that though we like the older version of their well disinfection guide better, we rely on many of their materials to support well owners all over the country. You can find their website at: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/wells/

Well and Water System Disinfection for Private Wells (2012 version)

Well Disinfection (2015 version)

Our Partners Speak! January Partner Poll

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 20:00:00 GMT

In our January Partner Newsletter we asked our subscribers to answer the following question:

“Should coliform bacteria sample results be provided to well owners as presence/absence or a quantified number of colonies?”

We received eight responses:

Quantify the results	7
Presence/absence	1

Most coliform bacteria are not harmful, but they are an indicator for the potential presence of pathogens. When coliform bacteria are present in a private well water supply, there is a possible contamination pathway for a source of bacteria (surface water, septic system, animal waste, etc.) or other contaminant into your well. In other words, harmful bacteria may use this same pathway to enter your drinking water supply.

When coliform are present in a water supply, a follow-up test for E. coli is typically recommended. E. coli are the best indicator of potential health hazards, as they are only found in the gut and feces of warm-blooded animals. (To learn more about the basics of coliform bacteria, this guide from the New York Department of Health is helpful.)

The presence/absence test is simple, inexpensive, and goes by the theory that any coliform indicates a potential breach in the well. So if present, disinfect and don’t drink the water until the test comes back negative.

The camp that believes you should quantify the number of colonies thinks that understanding the magnitude of the contamination provides a better understanding of the possible causes. So, as one of our respondents noted, having one colony vs. hundreds certainly tells you something more than a presence/absence test.

The following response best sums up the argument from a public health perspective:

“There are some wells in our county that will continuously come back with a result of 1 (colony) test after test and shocking after shocking. There are also some wells that routinely come back over the maximum quantification level even after shocking. I feel like these two wells are completely different situations. The first well appears to have minor contamination while the second well has major contamination. Yes, they both pose a risk, but very few things are perfect in this world. I would be much more comfortable drinking out of the first well than the second well. Without quantification, there is no way to tell the difference between these two wells. If someone has repeated low levels of bacteria, I would recommend retesting more frequently to see how it changes; whereas the second well I would encourage them to talk to a contractor about rehabilitating the well or repairing the well system.”

The real take-home message from this exercise, at least based on the 8 responses we received, was that this is a confusing issue. Several responses mentioned bacteria being found miles below the earth for instance, and several assumed we were talking about fecal coliform in our question (E. coli), when we were not. We were asking about the total coliform test that is a requirement for community water supplies and considered the standard approach to judging the safety of a well from near-surface contamination.

Regarding the bacteria found at depth issue, bacteria are ubiquitous in our environment, indeed, but they are not all coliform bacteria. Iron bacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and methanogenic bacteria, for instance, are all found in aquifers in Illinois. They actually help us understand other issues, like the reducing condition of the water in an aquifer, but they do not cause health issues. Several respondents seemed to think that all bacteria are a health risk; this is not the case.

Regarding the total coliform vs. fecal coliform vs. E. coli issue, testing for total coliform bacteria is a simple way to determine possible exposure to pathogens. The idea is to test for total coliform first because it’s easier and cheaper. Then, if there is a positive result, test for E. coli. We could have made this clearer, for sure, but for those who work with these results daily, the debate over a positive result versus a quantifiable result was the issue we were hoping to explore.

We were leaning more into the presence/absence camp when we started PrivateWellClass.org five years ago, to be honest. After all, any coliform means there could be a risk, and that is still true. But after hearing from many professionals, including at our conference last May, about the value of knowing the magnitude of the exposure, we are now leaning the other way. Both certainly have value, but, quantifying the test result does give you more information and provides value in making a decision.

If you would still like to chime in with your thoughts and opinions, we would love to hear from you. Take the poll.

Educating Real Estate Professionals with Daphne Pee

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 22:47:05 GMT

Reaching and educating real estate professionals on properties with private wells and septic systems is one thing that the Private Well Class has been trying to accomplish within the past few years. Real estate professionals who are well-versed on buying and selling homes with private wells and septic systems are great assets and a good source of information for potential home buyers and sellers. We reached out to Daphne Pee of the Chesapeake Water and Septic Homeowners Education project to find out what it was like working directly with real estate professionals in Maryland. Daphne filled us in on some of her past experiences.

Q: Daphne, what is your position and role in the Chesapeake Water and Septic Homeowners Education project?:

DP: I am the coordinator of the Chesapeake Water and Septic Homeowners Education program.

Q: Please describe the program, in general, including how stable and successful the program has been over the years?:

DP: We started with a 2-year pilot program in 2012 with a mix of internal funding, a few small grants, and in-kind support from the Maryland Department of Health. Our program was modeled off of Virginia Tech’s Drinking Water Clinic, which consists of three meetings:

• Kick-off Meeting: Basic overview of the program, pass out the sampling bottles and surveys, and instruct the homeowners on how to collect their water sample.
• Water Drop-off: Homeowners drop off their water samples and surveys.
• Informational Meeting: Educational presentation which includes information about the homeowners’ drinking water source, how it can get contaminated, how their wells work, what they can do to protect their drinking water, and what they should be testing for and how often.

The pilot program consisted of five clinics. Afterwards, we could not find a larger, more dedicated source of funding to launch the program more broadly. We then partnered with Virginia Tech to offer a more comprehensive water test, at a fee that was much less expensive than commercial water testing labs, but the cost was still too high and we got no registrants. This year, we have started conducting free, 1.5-hour seminars that covers most of the information from the clinics, but does not include water testing.

Q: What was your experience reaching out to the MD Association of Realtors (for your online seminar and article series)? Were they receptive?

DP: A few years ago, I contacted several people in the MD Association of Realtors headquarters and regional groups to introduce our work to them and try to find ways to offer training to their members. No one responded. Last year, a fellow Extension Educator who was also a Realtor sent an email to the MD Association of Realtors about our programming and I was immediately invited by their Director of Communications & Public Affairs to a meeting. We met by phone and I shared more details about the types of information I could provide and was offered a year-long series in their magazine, a webinar, and a series of infographics for their consumer-facing webpages. While their initial reception was encouraging, I have not heard much about the articles or webinar. I plan on following up with them after this last article is submitted.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge with reaching new audiences with the Chesapeake Water and Septic Homeowners Education program?

DP: The clinics and seminar cater to a very specific audience who has the interest in learning about their wells and drinking water, and the time and energy to attend a session on Saturday morning. So, our participants are typically older, wealthier, and well-educated. Working with the MD Assoc of Realtors was our first time reaching out to professionals. We would like to find a way to continue working with this group, as well as other professionals who need this kind of information and have continuing education requirements. Additionally, we would like to get this information to other homeowners who don’t fit the demographics of our clinic/seminar participants.

Q: In your opinion, what do you feel is the most misunderstood preconception that real estate professionals have about private well water and septic systems?

DP: I’m not sure. My experience thus far has consisted of me talking to them through articles and a webinar. I haven’t had a chance to talk to very many of them through this process.

Q: What sort of limitations have you encountered with your program and working with potential partners?

DP: Capacity has been an issue for us. Our Educators have a lot of demands on their time, so finding people who want to offer this program has taken a while. The topic is not one that naturally fits the expertise of many educators, so I don’t really blame them for not jumping onto the bandwagon. We are lucky that our Program Director for Family Consumer Sciences has been very supportive of our work. We also have several new hires with interest in the program, so we hope to be expanding our capacity this year.

Q: What important piece of advice could you give to other programs looking to work with real estate professionals?

DP: Find a realtor who sees the value in your program and can connect you to the right people in the organization to discuss opportunities to work together.

Jerry Tinoco Discusses Reaching Spanish-Speaking Communities

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 21:02:48 GMT

The Private Well Class is currently putting effort forth to translate many of our resources to Spanish. The real challenge that we have encountered is getting these resources out the individuals that could really use them. We reached out to Gerardo “Jerry” Tinoco Jr. to interview him about his efforts in predominantly Spanish speaking communities. Jerry is a Rural Development Specialist for the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and currently resides in California. Jerry works with Spanish speaking populations and provides many services in Spanish for private well owners.

Q: What is your current position and role in regards to your program working with Spanish-speaking communities?

JT: Currently I work in various capacities with Spanish speaking communities. I work both in private well related programs as well as in non-private well related programs. For my private well work, I mostly work in educating and outreaching to private well owners. I have conducted private well assessments and water quality sampling for Spanish speaking well owners and plan to hold a private well class for Spanish speaking communities dependent on private well systems. I also translate resources, factsheets, presentations, etc.

Q: What sort of situations do you encounter most often with working with a predominantly Spanish-speaking community that relies on private well water as a primary source of drinking water?:

JT: There is a general lack of basic operation and maintenance with most private well communities, both Spanish speaking and not. People are just unaware about the things they should be doing to not only ensure their well runs efficiently and effectively for a long time, but also what they should do to protect groundwater. Oftentimes, people are renters on properties with private wells and thus never really get invested in the maintenance of their private well system. I think this general lack of knowledge is fairly common in any private well community, Spanish speaking or not.

Q: Can you please highlight some challenges that partners may come across in private well outreach in Spanish-speaking populations?

JT: Unfortunately given the current political climate, I think one of the biggest challenges in working to outreach for private wells in Spanish speaking populations is simply gaining their trust. In working with Spanish speaking populations, one needs to be mindful that some may have a general suspicion of people going to their homes. But aside from that, a common challenge for any private well outreach is conveying the importance to their health and finances that properly operating and maintaining a well system has.

Q: In your experience, what is the best way to raise awareness about private well care in these populations? Does geographical location matter?

JT: In my experience, attending existing/established meetings in communities seems to be a good starting off point to raise awareness. Going to a local PTA meeting, being a guest at adult school classes, attending local organizing group meetings, or local government meetings to give brief presentations to spark people’s interest and convey the importance of well care. Once some interest and trust is established, then I would feel more secure in hosting a private well class and giving them more in depth information as well as maybe doing well assessments. There are of course easier ways, such as an ad in a newspaper or fliers around town, but to me this trust building and getting to know the community is the best.

Q: What sort of partnerships or collaboration that you have been a part of has made reaching out to these folks easier?

JT: As I mentioned before, partnering up with schools, local organizing groups, local non-profits, or any other groups involved in the community to help build that trust to allow the community to familiarize themselves with you and want to have a more in depth discussion about maintaining their private well. I often work with other partner non-profits on projects outside of private wells, but when a working relationship is established they’ll usually invite me out and do the outreach themselves of people interested in learning more about private wells.

Q: Can you describe what you believe to be one of your program’s largest successes?

JT: We are barely starting to focus more of our attention on Spanish speaking well communities so I feel our biggest success is yet to come since we have been mostly working with communities on other issues affecting them. So far they’ve been more isolated examples of success helping individual well owners learn more about their wells, getting people with dry wells low interest loans to drill new wells, or showing new well owners best practices to maintain a healthy well system. I do think simply translating a lot of existing resources and information has really helped as well.

Q: In your opinion, what’s the number one thing that partners can do in order to do a better job of outreach in Spanish-speaking communities?

JT: I think the most important and basic thing anyone can do to increase outreach in Spanish-speaking communities is simply to put resources and a deliberate effort to reach out in Spanish speaking communities. It sounds obvious, but honestly simply just trying will yield results. Often times, outreach efforts are not accessible to Spanish speaking communities or poor/rural areas in general as well. Invitations and fliers will be in English only which already will not get you any Spanish speaking well owners. If the workshops themselves are in English only, that too will deter people from attending. In rural areas, e-vites or online webinars/factsheets may not be accessible to many. So as simple as it sounds I think the number one thing that we can all do is to allocate resources specifically for the purpose of educating Spanish-speaking communities. Put out fliers and invitations in Spanish. Outreach door to door in Spanish. Host Spanish meetings and workshops. Not translated by interpreters, but actually taught and led in Spanish.

Communities Unlimited and Tennessee Department of Health, A Proven Partnership

Thu, 27 Jul 2017 20:42:04 GMT

Developing meaningful and lasting partnerships are the key to any successful program. This is why we took a deeper look at a partnership that exists between Communities Unlimited and the Tennessee Department of Health. The Private Well Class was able to talk with Judy Manners (left) with the Tennessee Department of Health and Annie Chiodo (right) with Communities Unlimited to understand how their partnership works and what has made them functionally successful over the years.

Q: Judy, what is your role with Tennessee Department of Health and what does your position entail?:

JM: I am an Environmental Health Specialist in the Communicable and Environmental Disease Services and Emergency Preparedness Division’s Environmental Epidemiology Program. In this role, I provide consultation and field expertise for our epidemiologists who investigate water related illnesses and serve as the project manager for the CDC grant, SafeWATCH, which is targeted to reduce exposure to untreated drinking water from those using wells or springs as their household residential water supply. Through this grant, we are able to provide a limited number of free water tests to raise awareness about private drinking water quality.

Q: Annie, what is your role with Communities Unlimited and what does your position entail?:

AC: My role with Communities Unlimited is Operations Management Specialist, and I work in TN with community and non-community water systems under population of 10,000.

I also have the Private Well Program for Communities Unlimited and focus on four states, which are TN, MS, AL, LA. We have a great team of folks in the states that help me with the program.

Q: How did the Tennessee Department of Health start working with Communities Unlimited initially?:

JM: Well, it’s funny how all things water are related! I originally met Annie Chiodo when I worked at TDEC Division of Water Resources as an Aquatic Resource Alteration/ §401 Certification permit writer. Being planned was a large road construction project, which would likely impact the public water supply well for a rural Tennessee community, and Annie happened to be the drinking water treatment operator. Needless to say, we had some spirited conversations!

Fast-forwarding a decade or so, Annie and I had each moved on to our current employers. I was re-introduced to Annie through our partners at the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Division of Water Resources Drinking Water Unit during a training event for well and well water treatment installers. The TDEC Division of Water Resources regulates public water supply, private water well construction and well water treatment installers. We, the TDH, had collaborated with them to include waterborne disease awareness as part of the training program to well installers. TDEC works with Communities Unlimited, Inc. for outreach and technical assistance to non-community public water systems. The Water Resources staff was aware of Annie’s work with well water owners and then, through Annie, I met Dwight Stapleton, Annie’s counterpart for the eastern portions of Tennessee.

Q: What sort of role does Communities Unlimited have with Tennessee Department of Health?:

AC: We started working together after the Private Well Program rolled out. Judy is fantastic to work with when we get the chance to work together on assessing and testing wells. She has limits on what she can do, and I pick up the rest, and do the follow ups.

Q: What has been the most valuable attribute that Communities Unlimited has brought to the Tennessee Department of Health?:

JM: Water treatment expertise, assistance in trouble shooting routes of contamination in private water systems and their extensive consultative service. Because Annie and Dwight are water treatment experts they are available to consult with private water well owners regarding specific water treatment needs. Because they are already working in rural parts of our state through their work with The Private Well.org and RCAP the breadth of outreach is greatly expanded and through knowledge gained from the well logs they research, the environmental assessment, and their community ties across the state. Having this level of detail for private well users would not be possible without their assistance and it makes our test results much more meaningful to residents.

Q: What is the most challenging thing to consider when working in collaboration as Communities Unlimited and Tennessee Department of Health are doing?:

AC: Schedules. We have to make sure that we stay on the same page on dates and times, and location where we will meet.

Q: Is there a common goal that both Communities Unlimited and the Tennessee Department of Health are trying to reach and how do the two organizations assist one another to reach that common goal (if there is one)? If there is no common goal, what are the individual goals of the two organizations?:

JM: Improving health and prosperity by meeting people where they are. The mission of the Tennessee Department of Health is “To protect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee” and the mission of Communities Unlimited is “to move rural and under-resourced communities in areas of persistent poverty to sustainable prosperity.”

Communities Unlimited and the Tennessee Department of Health share the goal of improving the prosperity of Tennessee’s rural residents in communities that are often underserved. For private water system users, we share the objective of identifying areas with known well water quality concerns and providing intensive outreach to rural communities or individual families with the purpose of reducing exposures to potentially harmful pathogens or other analytes of health concern.

Q: Can you give an example of some work or an event that you’ve done collaboratively to demonstrate the details on how you work together?:

AC: Whoever has the information on a well to assess, we coordinate on date and time. I try to get the well log ahead of time. I also pull up a map from Google Earth to see what the terrain is like, nearby streams, lakes, ponds, etc.

When we arrive at the location, we start pulling water samples from the raw and if possible finished water if they have a treatment system. Meantime I am getting pictures of the well from many directions to see what could possibly impact the well. We start notating the condition of the well head, and get the needed information on the treatment system if they have on, and talk with the well owner about the maintenance they do on the well and/or treatment system. We talk over what we find.

Judy shares the lab results with me, and sends a very informative letter to the well owner explaining the results. I try to do a follow-up with the well owner to answer any questions they may have.

Q: Going forward, what sort of accomplishments do you foresee the two organizations achieving in the future?

JM: Ideally, we will publicize our efforts related to private well owners through our websites, outreach materials for home owners, training initiatives; include more collaborators because without our other partners in government, higher education, community groups and buy in from rural residents the sustainable outreach to well or spring water users.

Q: What sort of advice would you give to other organizations that are considering future collaboration efforts?

AC: Everyone needs to be on the same page, and defining their role in the process. There is research that should be done before going to the well site, and who is going to do that.
The research involves trying to locate the drillers’ log, or well report. Look at the terrain, I use Google Earth to get an idea of what is there, and close to the well location, also on Google Earth you can go back in years to see what was there 10 years or earlier. I then start the file for the individual well with any documentation that I may have.

Whoever goes out or has a collaboration, needs to understand the importance of proper well construction, and what is happening with a 250’ radius of the well, where is the septic system, and how the grounds around the well head is maintained.

Alaska Stakeholders Step Up

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 17:39:11 GMT

Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's (ADEC) Hydrologist, Charley Palmer, discusses how stakeholders in Alaska have been voluntarily working together to protect groundwater and raise awareness on various issues and concerns. The Private Well Class met Charley during a webinar that mentioned Alaska's lack of private well regulation. After speaking with him more, we learned that stakeholder groups in Alaska are voluntarily working on best management practices (BMPs) for well construction and decommissioning in the state.

Q: What is your job title and what does it encompass?:

CP: I’ve been a Hydrologist with the State of Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) working in the Drinking Water Program since 2007. ADEC is responsible for ensuring that public water systems meet the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Within the Drinking Water Protection group, my role is to delineate source water protection areas, or where public water system wells get their water from (typically within the watershed), and to assess potential sources of contamination within this boundary. I then communicate the results to the water systems and the public with the intent of encouraging voluntary protection efforts. Some protection efforts are accomplished directly by the water system or the community it serves. However, other protection efforts are passively accomplished by our group through permit recommendations, agency collaboration, developing guidelines, public outreach, etc.

Q: Alaska is unique in that there is a collaboration of many stakeholders working together to form guidelines. Can you explain more about how and when this started, who the stakeholders are, what the goals are, and where you are in the process?:

CP: Private water wells are different than the public water system wells that ADEC regulates, but they often use water drawn from the same underground source (aquifer); therefore, the matter in which private wells are constructed and maintained can impact nearby public water system wells. In Alaska, there are no statewide standards for private water wells, and only two local authorities, the Municipality of Anchorage and the City of North Pole, have regulatory code for private wells. Additionally, there are no requirements for groundwater professionals (i.e. well contractors, engineers, hydrologists, etc.) to have specialized water well knowledge or experience. As a result, there had been a growing concern by many stakeholders that the lack of statewide standards and proof of qualifications has led to an increasing risk to groundwater protection.

In October 2012, ADEC facilitated an open public discussion in three different cities in Alaska, among potential stakeholders regarding issues and concerns with water wells and perceived impacts to groundwater sources. The purpose of the discussion was to raise awareness of issues and concerns and determine whether an interest existed to find solutions. In general agreement, stakeholders volunteered to participate in workgroup meetings and the Groundwater Protection and Water Wells stakeholder workgroup was formed. The first workgroup meeting was March 2013. The workgroup currently includes stakeholders from state agencies (staff from ADEC and the Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources (ADNR)), as well as water well contractors (drillers and pump installers), hydrologists, engineers, public water system owner/operators, water testing lab professionals, and private citizens. Meetings were held roughly monthly during the generally slower construction season (October through March).

The workgroup first acknowledged that there was not a centralized location for existing and future private well owners to find information relevant to Alaska. By spring 2014, we had collaborated to create the Alaska Private Drinking Water Wells & Systems web site containing information compiled from across the state and nation as it relates to private drinking water wells.

Next the workgroup began tackling water well construction and decommissioning (see discussion in following answers).

Q: Can you describe the policy differences between the well decommissioning BMPs and the well construction BMPs?

CP: At the time the workgroup began, the ADEC Drinking Water regulations for public water systems, 18 AAC 80.015(e), adopted by reference copyright-protected water well decommissioning methods that applied to all types of water wells (including private wells), but were too generalized, not specific to Alaska’s conditions, and difficult to access. By June 2016, the workgroup thoughtfully developed the “Alaska Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Maintaining or Decommissioning Water Wells and Boreholes”, which take into account Alaska’s unique remoteness and natural conditions. Effective July 2016, an ADEC internal directive was issued to accept these BMPs as an approved alternate method. These BMPs are intended to be applied to the maintenance or decommissioning of all water wells and boreholes (public and non-public) in Alaska .

Also by June 2016, the workgroup completed the “Alaska Best Management Practices for the Construction of Non-Public (private) Water Wells”. At this time, these remain BMPs (are not tied to any regulations) and are intended to be referred to by the public and other agencies when installing or maintaining an existing or future private well.

Together, these BMPs balance protecting groundwater and public health with practices that are economically sustainable and can be applied statewide.

Q: What sort of response have you received from working voluntarily with so many other stakeholders?

CP: Since the release of the BMPs in June 2016, the ADEC staff that participated in the workgroup have made a strong effort to publicize their existence and seek feedback. Presumably because of their more accessible and applicable nature, we’ve been receiving records of decommissioning using the methods in the BMP regularly. Also, we’ve seen an increase in contacts regarding private well construction information, again presumably because of the information being more accessible, and it has given staff an efficient resource to refer the public.

Q: What has been the biggest win so far? What has been the largest challenges or hurdles?

CP: There have been several wins, including making information more accessible to the public and crafting practices that work in Alaska’s unique environment. Although I think the biggest win has been improving dialogue between stakeholders, particularly agency staff and water well contractors. Having regular meetings and follow-up e-mail correspondence has helped reduce miscommunication and increase knowledge of each other’s profession and perspectives. Over time this has allowed progress to be made through understanding and compromise.

The immediate challenge was for agency staff to convey to stakeholders that we were interested in an open discussion that would lead to the mutual benefit of better groundwater protection, and were not approaching the workgroup meetings with the ulterior motive to create more regulations. This is the primary reason why the deliverables to this point have been in the form of BMPs and not “standards”. The exception is that the Decommissioning BMPs were used to help clarify existing regulations; hence, are now referenced as an acceptable method with respect to current regulation 18 AAC 80.015(e).

Another challenge was demonstrating to each other that the stakeholders involved in the workgroup discussions were knowledgeable on the topic of water wells and groundwater protection. Overcoming this doubt meant putting aside stereotypes and listening. With each meeting, stakeholders gained confidence in each other’s knowledge about water well construction and the existing regulatory framework. Today, I believe we have a mutual trust that allows us to make progress more efficiently.

Q: Moving forward, what tasks are you tackling currently? What would you like to accomplish in the future?

CP: The workgroup is not planned to meet again until the fall, when the construction season typically slows down. When the last meeting was held in the spring, a focus group was tasked with developing draft BMPs for public water system (PWS) well construction. For a starting point, we reference the AWWA A100-06 Water Wells, and the ANSI/NGWA-01-14 Water Well Construction Standard. Despite the minimum requirements in current ADEC Drinking Water regulations, 18 AAC 80, there are additional construction techniques and considerations that are common in Alaska. The intent is to capture these in a BMP.

Ensuring that groundwater professionals in Alaska have basic knowledge and experience in water well construction is a challenge that the workgroup has expressed interest in confronting. In Alaska, there is not a hydrologist/hydrogeologist specialty license, there isn’t a water well contractor certification requirement, and there isn’t specific water well training associated with the professional engineer license requirements. This has led to frustration from all stakeholders when working on projects that involve designing, constructing, and approving a water well. The workgroup is interested in finding a way to ensure that training is available and establishing proof of qualifications.

Q: Is there anything else you would like to touch on of importance that we may have missed?

CP: To see what the workgroup has accomplished so far, and to follow along as we move forward, please visit our web site where you can find agendas, minutes, and links of interest: http://dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/dwp/dwp-water-wells-mtng.html.

Lessons Learned from Connecticut

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 22:02:00 GMT

Last month, March 23, 2017, the very first Connecticut Private Well Conference was held in East Hartford, CT. As the Private Well Class prepares for our own first national Private Well Conference coming up on May 23-25, we asked Tiziana Shea - a sanitary engineer for the CT Department of Public Health's Private Well program, about the lessons learned from planning and preparing for the Connecticut Private Well Conference. Tiziana shares some valuable insight for partners and other environmental health professionals below! If you would like to view the speaker presentations from the Connecticut Private Well Conference, you can do so here.

Q: Why you decided to host the first CT Private Well Conference?

TS: In Connecticut about 23% of our population (more than 820,000 people), are served by their own private residential well. Local Health Departments and Districts have authority over construction of new private wells and approval of water quality results for new wells, but existing wells are not regulated in Connecticut. There is a need to bring professionals working in fields related to private wells together to discuss technical and outreach issues associated with them. In 2016 the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CT DPH), Private Well Program initiated the coordination of the Connecticut Private Well Task Force, which is comprised of 14 associations and programs that work with private wells in different capacities in Connecticut. The task force collaborates on matters related to private wells, such as laws, regulations, policies, technical topics, outreach and education, and training for professionals. This 2017 Connecticut Private Well Conference was meant as a way to spread discussion of private well matters and to provide training to individuals working in a field related to private wells.

Q How the conference was funded?

TS: The Connecticut Department of Public Health has a cooperative agreement with the National Center for Environmental Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce drinking water exposures in unregulated drinking water systems. Funding for the 2017 Connecticut Private Well Conference was made possible (in part) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the conference site was provided free of charge by Goodwin Community College, as long as the conference would be made available to students in a related field that attend the college. The opportunity to reach out to future environmental health and science professionals was a win - win for all parties involved.

Q What was the turnout, topics covered, and logistics of the conference?

TS: In order to determine relevant presentation topics for the conference, the CT Private Well Task Force members and organizations were asked to provide input regarding topics of interest among the private well field. A lot of topics of interest were generated initially, so from there we polled the task force members to prioritize topics for this first year’s event. Topics covered during the conference were: Existing MCLs and Action Levels for Private Wells; Road Salt Impacts to Drinking Water Wells; Sizing Variable Frequency Drive’s for Residential Well Pumps; Arsenic and Uranium in Domestic Wells in CT; Building Code and Private Well Construction; Drought in CT and Implications for Private Wells; Water Treatment Wastewater Disposal; and, Residential Water Treatment Fundamentals. The number of attendees exceeded our expectations, our final count with several walk-ins was 125 attendees.

Q: What are your “lessons learned” from both the subject matter covered, and from hosting a state-wide conference?

TS: If you have the ability to test run electronics and other logistics in the room beforehand, take advantage of that! Be persistent in getting electronic copies of presentations ahead of the event so that you can be as coordinated as possible the day of the event. Start earlier than you think you’d need to, and stay organized.

Q: Who were the attendees?

TS: 50% local health professionals or registered sanitarians; 15% well water industry professionals & specialists; 15% state or federal employees; 6% environmental lab professionals; Remaining: home inspectors, environmental consultants & specialists, home builders/remodelers, building officials, environmental health/science students.

Q: What will you do differently next time?

TS: Consider a different space to hold the conference in. The facilities and people were great to work with, but lighting and support beams in the space provided made it difficult to see the presentation for some, and the space was tight for the number of individuals that attended.

Q: How was the conference promoted? Do you think the promotion strategy you used was successful?

TS: We used several different means to promote the 2017 CT Private Well Conference. Because the event was hosted jointly with the CT Private Well Task Force our task force member partners reached out to their respective groups regarding the conference. The CT DPH also utilized an internal Everbridge system which allows us to contact local health officials via email, we posted registration information on our CT DPH private well program website, word of mouth and with the help of the PrivateWellClass.org, which was much appreciated! We feel as though our promotion strategy for this first conference was successful, as we exceeded the number of attendees we thought we’d get. However, in the future we plan to continue to expand our outreach to other groups of individuals that we’d like included in the mix.

Q: What advice would you give the Private Well Class as they prepare to host the first national Private Well Conference next month?

TS: Be sure to work out as many details as possible beforehand, consider even the smallest or seemingly mundane things.

Q: What were some of the most interesting or unexpected discussions, presentations, or partnerships formed form the conference?

TS: In general; how well received the conference was, and the strong desire from so many to see it continue in future years. In my opinion, one of the most important messages brought up in some of the presentations, was one of working together, and to begin opening discussions where there are needs for it. The conference did facilitate different groups interacting that may not have otherwise done so. The conference also strengthened the partnerships established through the private well task force, and helped broaden that partnership with those not directly involved in the task force.

Tia Hastings, From Indian Health Service, Talks Tribal Water

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 16:00:00 GMT

Tia Hastings is an Environmental Engineer with the Indian Health Service. She provides engineering and project management services for projects with Native American Tribes and Nations for the New York and New England areas.

Q: Can you please describe your position with Indian Health Services (IHS) and what sort of responsibilities your position entails?:

TH: I am an Environmental Engineer and Project Manager in the Nashville Area Indian Health Service in the Division of Sanitation Facilities Construction (SFC). SFC is under the direction of the Office of Environmental Health and Engineering (OEHE) within Indian Health Service (IHS). The IHS Nashville Area, has five field offices in addition to one Area office located in Nashville, TN to serve the tribes and nations from Maine to Florida and west to Texas. I work in Manlius, NY and serve the nations in NY. The IHS Nashville Area provides services to 30 tribes with over 17,500 Indian homes.
I develop projects to provide water, wastewater, and solid waste services to Native American communities. I work directly with the Native communities in New York State to assist in determining needs for projects, assisting the Nations with developing those projects, obtaining funding and implementing those projects. I provide site assessments, survey work, design, and construction inspection, write engineering reports, prepare project documents, track finances, process payment requests, and oversee construction. I also provide homeowner trainings and do community outreach.

Q: Does IHS have a private well program? If so, can you tell me a little bit about it?:

TH: The Sanitation Facility Construction (SFC) Program supports the mission of the Indian Health Service to raise the health status of the American Indian and Alaska Native people to the highest possible level by planning, designing and overseeing the construction of water, waste water and solid waste facilities. The preferred alternative for the provision of safe drinking water is to connect tribal homes to community water systems that have a higher level of regulatory over-sight from the tribal government and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In cases were community water systems are not available or economically feasible to construct, a private well is the preferred alternative to provide access to drinking water. When installing a private well, the SFC Program will complete the necessary planning and inspection activities which include well sighting, constructing inspection, hydraulic pump test and water quality analysis to ensure the water quality meets EPA’s primary drinking water standards. If the water quality doesn’t meet the primary drinking water standards then a point-of-use device will be recommended and installed if desired by the homeowner. Finally, the SFC Program provides homeowner training to help ensure the facility provided will remain operable over the facility design life.

Q: Can you describe one of your private well/clean drinking water program’s successes?

TH: A Tribal homeowner was having difficulty with the water in his home. The treatment system and filters were constantly clogging and were becoming expensive to maintain. IHS did a site visit to the home and determined that the home was connected to a very old hand dug well. The investigation and water testing performed by IHS revealed the well water did not meet the primary drinking water requirements. The water main for public water was down the road but did not extend to the home. We got approval and funding to extend the water down the road to this home, and connected it to the public water system. The home now has clean, uncontaminated public water.

Q: Are there any other stakeholders that IHS works with that is involved with helping Native Americans get access to clean water via private wells or offers some other sort of assistance? And if so, what is their role?

TH: IHS works with other funding agencies to provide funding assistance for projects to provide drinking water, waste water and solid waste facilities. We also work with agencies and tribal organizations to provide homeowner trainings, project assistance and utility trainings. We have worked with the Environmental Protection Agency, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Water, United States Geological Survey, United South and Eastern Tribes, and our tribal partners to provide access to clean water.

Q: Does IHS house any private well data for tribal lands? If so, is it available to the public? If it is, can you provide a link or contact information?

TH: IHS keeps and maintains data on all private wells that were installed by IHS. This data is not considered public data as it contains homeowner information. Requests for private well water quality data should be submitted to the tribe.

Q: What are some of the challenges with making sure residents of tribal lands have safe water?

TH: Source water quality is a challenge in making sure residents on tribal land have safe water. Some of the Nations are in areas where groundwater quality is very poor, and treatment systems for individuals would be quite expensive to maintain. Additionally, and proximity of homes to open dumps and inadequately treated wastewater can impact water quality. IHS works with tribal governments and communities to overcome these challenges to help ensure tribal homes have access to safe drinking water.

Q: Are there any other clean water related issues that are currently plaguing tribes that IHS assists with?

TH: Annually the IHS assesses and reports on the sanitation facility needs in Indian communities. These assessments are done in collaboration with tribal governments. At the beginning of FY 2016 approximately, 7,500 Indian homes in the Nashville Area were in need of some form of new or improved sanitation facility. The total cost of this work in the Nashville Area was estimated to be $112 million with 64% of this need related to the supply of drinking water ($71.7 million), 29% related to wastewater disposal ($33.1 million) and 7% related to solid waste ($7.3 million). These needs include the replacement of aging and/or poorly maintained water distribution systems, sewer collection systems (mains, manholes and pumping stations) and closure of open dumps. The Indian Health Service strives to provide the necessary sanitation facilities and technical assistance to support operation and maintenance of the provided facilities so that tribal communities have sustainable access to safe drinking water and waste disposal that enhance and protect public health.

An Interview with Erin Ling and Site Visit to the VAHWQP Laboratory

Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:31:47 GMT

Back in October, Steve Wilson and I had the opportunity to visit with Erin Ling and the Virginia Household Water Quality Program laboratory at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. Erin Ling is a Water Quality Extension Associate that helps to coordinate the Virginia Household Water Quality Program located at Virginia Tech which provides drinking water clinics for Virginia residents that rely of private water supplies. We were able to tour the facility, see the equipment, and interact with some of the individuals that make up the team at the Biological Systems Engineering Water Quality Lab.

Q: Can you tell me a little more about your lab on campus?:

EL: The BSE Water Quality Lab has been a part of our Biological Systems Engineering Department at Virginia Tech for decades (the department was founded in 1920, and soil and water conservation has always been a major focus). The Virginia Household Water Quality Program has been processing samples through the lab since 1989, and the lab’s qualified staff and equipment provide an amazing resource to Virginians through this program. The lab also handles a variety of samples related to stream and wetland ecology engineering research. Historically the lab was located in Seitz Hall on campus, and we were very fortunate to be moved to the beautiful new Human and Agricultural Biosciences Building 1 in 2014. The lab is not state-certified, although we follow all standard methods and maintain appropriate QA/QC. VAHWQP samples we process are intended for educational purposes, and we often refer people to certified labs for additional testing.

Q: What constituents does your lab sample for and for whom?:

EL: VAHWQP relies on a network of about 85 Extension agents across the state to help run well testing and education programs in about 55 counties each year (there are 95 counties in Virginia). The program is open to all Virginians who rely on private water supplies (mostly wells with a few springs in the mountainous parts of the state). In Virginia, about 1 in 5 people rely on private water supplies, which is about 1.7 million people. We sample for 14 parameters, including total coliform and E. coli bacteria, lead, arsenic, copper, nitrate, pH, hardness, sulfate, fluoride, sodium, total dissolved solids, iron, and manganese.

Q: Who makes up your team in the lab?:

EL: In the BSE Water Quality lab, we have the pleasure of working with Kelly Peeler, lab manager; Asa Spiller, lab assistant; and a variety of talented graduate and undergraduate students. We are also fortunate to have a partnership with Dr. Marc Edwards’ lab in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech (a.k.a. the “Flint Lab”, made famous for helping to characterize the dire situation with lead in water in Flint, Michigan). Starting in 2011, we began analyzing our well and spring water samples for lead, arsenic and a suite of additional metals. We really appreciate the assistance of Dr. Edwards, Dr. Kelsey Pieper, and Dr. Jeff Parks, the lead analyst in that lab. Our program has benefited from partnering with a variety of researchers, including those in the Flint Lab. Here is a list of the peer-reviewed papers that have been published in collaboration with VAHWQP.

Q: What sort of problems/contaminants does your lab see most often?:

EL: We see a lot of bacteria, mostly coliform (present in about 40% of samples) and some E. coli (present in about 10% of samples). This is why we tie a lot of our education to proper well location and construction. We also see a lot of lead in water supplied by wells in parts of the state. Up to 1 in 5 samples contains more than 15 ppb lead in first draw samples. Based on research conducted by Kelsey Pieper, we understand that this lead is coming from lead solder, brass components manufactured before Jan 2014, and sometimes galvanized steel. Lead is more of a problem in certain geologies (crystalline bedrock, found in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont of Virginia), and in shallower wells, where we find water that is often more acidic and therefore corrosive. We also find a fair amount of nuisance contaminants, mostly iron, manganese and hardness. Testing is the only way to know what’s in your water!

Q: What is the cost for residents to have their water tested? Do you/they receive any subsidies or discounts based on income?

EL: We charge $55 per sample for the 14 parameters, which is a pretty reasonable price for this number of parameters. Some counties are able to coordinate to provide subsidies by getting grants or donations locally.

Q: What has been the most challenging thing with coordinating and operating a university laboratory for the VAHWQ Program?

EL: Really just the biggest challenge is promoting the program and keeping up with demand to continue to grow in the most sustainable way possible. We would love to be able to serve everyone exactly when they want to test, but have to stick to our schedule (we offer testing in 3-4 counties per week for most weeks of the year), as we aren’t able to process individual samples. We are so fortunate to have the facilities and people we have to work with, and really have benefitted from working with such an extensive network of Extension agents across the state. We couldn’t do it without the human capacity, facilities and support of our many partners!

Q: For the two programs, VWON & VAHWQP, how do they work together, if at all?

EL: VWON is the Virginia Well Owner Network. We modeled this program after Penn State’s successful Master Well Owner Network, which is comprised mostly of volunteers who educate well owners about their water supplies. Although we do have a small volunteer network that is available to answer questions from the public, over time, we have shifted to focus on training Extension agents and what we call “agency collaborators” who are staff members of state agencies that also work with well owners, such as Virginia Dept of Health and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The Extension agents, as I mentioned, conduct drinking water testing programs locally with support from our campus faculty. They are our way of being able to hold many more programs across the state, and have a cadre of local experts to help answer the thousands of questions we get each year from the public. Agency collaborators help answer questions and refer people to the Virginia Household Water Quality Program whenever possible. We also have a close partnership with the Virginia Water Well Association, the state well drilling contractors’ membership group. They have been invaluable in providing technical assistance, serving as guest speakers, and helping us build and develop WellCheck (http://www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu/wellcheck.php), which is a partnership that provides well inspections to homeowners who need help with their wells after participating in a VAHWQP program.

ABOVE LEFT: The ion chromatograph (IC) is used to analyze anions such as fluoride, sulfate and nitrate in well and spring water samples.
ABOVE RIGHT: Lab assistant Asa Spiller speaks with a group of visiting high school students about keeping track of samples in the lab and measuring pH and electroconductivity.

ABOVE LEFT: BSE Water Quality Lab Manager Kelly Peeler gets ready to process some samples received from Virginia well and spring users.
ABOVE CENTER: VAHWQP provides bacteria results as MPN (most probable number), using the Colilert ™ method. This is one 100 mL sample, poured and sealed into a Quantitray and incubated for 24 hours. Cells that are yellow contain coliform bacteria and cells that glow when held under ultraviolet light contain E. coli. By counting the number of each, we can statistically estimate the number of each type of bacteria in the sample, which can give homeowners an idea of the extent of contamination.
ABOVE RIGHT: Virginia Household Water Quality Program coordinator Erin Ling checks well and spring water samples for bacteria presence using Colilert ™. (Photo by Virginia Tech University Relations)

ABOVE: BSE Water Quality Lab Manager Kelly Peeler sorts sample kits from Virginia well and spring users. (Photo by Virginia Tech University Relations)

To learn more about the VAHWQP you can view the 2017 Schedule and 2016 Annual Report at:
Virginia Household Water Quality Program 2017 Schedule
Virginia Household Water Quality Program 2016 Annual Report

Resources for Private Well Owners Impacted by Flood

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 20:34:06 GMT

Flooding is the most common natural occurrence that can impact the function and safety of a well. In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, the National Ground Water Association issued an important reminder that one must assume that a flooded well has been contaminated by bacteria. Cliff Treyens, NGWA's director of general public outreach, offers these tips to homeowners with flooded wells:

Do not drink the water or wash with it. Use an alternative supply. such as bottled water.
Stay away from the well pump while it’s flooded to avoid electrical shock.
Get a qualified water well contractor or pump installer to clean and turn on the pump, flush the well, disinfect the well, and perform any other necessary maintenance.
Check with the local emergency management agency about any guidance relating to local conditions or specific contamination threats due to area flooding.

This video, also from NGWA, explores the topic further:

You can also refer to Chapter 6 of The Private Well Class. Here's the excerpt on flooding:

"If flood waters overtop your well, assume your well is contaminated. Once the water recedes, you should have your well disinfected and sampled for bacteria before using it again. Remember to disconnect any inline treatment prior to disinfection. You should also inspect your wellhead to be sure no debris got into your well. This is a particular concern if your vent screen is missing. If you think there is debris, have a contractor clean and disinfect your well. If water reaches your well but doesn’t overtop it, it’s still safest to disinfect and sample prior to use.

If you have the luxury of knowing a flood could happen, be prepared. Store a supply of clean water that you can use during and after the flood. Disconnect the power supply to your well to prevent any electrical damage from short circuits. Temporarily plug the vent holes to prevent debris from getting into your well.

There are other options that can help prevent flood contamination, but they are more costly. One is to have a contractor create an extension for your well to raise the pipe. We have seen wellheads in flood-prone areas that extend 10 feet or more above land surface. Another option is to replace your vented cap with a waterproof one for just during the flood event. This may provide added protection, but it’s still always best to have a sample analyzed after the flood to be sure there were no leaks or other avenues into the well that flood waters may have found.

Well pits are a shock hazard, so be sure the entire pit is dry before entering. If your pit is a confined space, then do not go into it because of the risk of dangerous gases. Have a qualified professional inspect and restart your system. If your pump is above ground, like in your basement or over the well, flood waters could short circuit the system and even start the pump. Be sure the power is off in advance of the flood, and have your pump checked and tested by a professional before using it again.

Septic systems can also be damaged or cause contamination issues during floods. Make sure the access points are sealed. Your septic system should have a backflow preventer before the tank to keep sewage from backing up into your home during a flooding event. If your septic has its own pump, be sure to shut off the power."

Pledging 2 Test in Galena, IL

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 16:10:40 GMT

This past March, the Private Well Class celebrated the 2016 National Groundwater Awareness Week with the Pledge 2 Test campaign. Well owners were invited to pledge to submit a water sample for testing to a lab in their area. One Pledge to Test Campaign participant was randomly selected to be reimbursed for the cost of testing the private well water at their residence, up to $200.

The randomly selected winner was Liz H. from Galena, IL. Liz and her family had purchased a new home in the country and pledged to test her water in our campaign. We interviewed Liz to find out what motivated her to want to test her water and what her experience was like. Liz had her well water tested at Lyons Lab in Stockton, IL.

Q: How did you hear about the Pledge 2 Test campaign from The Private Well Class?

LH: Since we were looking at moving to the country and having our own well, I was a bit nervous about the water and run off that so many people talk about. I think it’s very important to have good drinking water since we have a six year old and we drink on average 5 gallons a week through our water cooler, so I signed up for the free well water class that I got through my realtor. We really never worried about it before since we have always lived in town or had city water.

Q: What made you interested in testing your private well water?

LH: I want to know what we are drinking and I want to know if our family will have long lasting health risks with side effects down the road from drinking poor quality water. Good clean water seems to be a hot topic these days and it’s not all accurate.

Q: What was the most challenging thing about collecting the sample/getting the test bottles?

LH: Since the lab is over a half hour away from where we live in the opposite direction of where we travel, it was hard getting to the lab before they closed. I tried for several weeks to get off work in time to make it over to Lyon’s lab but was unsuccessful. Finally I decided to call and see if they could send me the kit. They are very accommodating and sent the kit right away, it arrived in two days.

Q: What was one thing about taking a sample that surprised you?

LH: The instructions were very easy to follow and the collection process was simple. It literally took me less than five minutes from start to finish after I read through the instructions twice.

Q: Once you receive the results, do you think that there is there anything that you will change? Like adding a filtration system, etc.?

LH: Depending on what the results reveal, we will be making changes to whatever needs to be done. We have already started using a PUR system on our kitchen sink since that is where we get out tap water from. We also fill our five gallon water cooler from this same tap source. I am getting anxious to find out the results. The water has a pretty plain, good taste when it's cold. I don’t drink room temperature water so not sure if the taste is different.

Liz’s results for nitrate/nitrogen, arsenic, iron, lead, coliform, and E. coli were either absent or were well below the level needed for safe consumption as outlined by the U.S. EPA.

Her water showed an elevated number of iron bacteria colonies. Iron bacteria are organisms which feed on the iron in a well. They are not considered a health risk, but as the colony grows, it may develop into a film, or biofilm, which will foul and plug pipes, pumps, and water treatment devices. An objectionable odor may also be produced. Bacteria (including iron bacteria) often are introduced into a well during the drilling process or when performing repair on a well or pump. Iron bacteria specifically, can be a natural part of a groundwater system. Which if were the case here, would mean that they could likely come back even if a single treatment were to eliminate them initially. Treatment typically involves disinfection with chlorine. Complete elimination may not be possible and the well may require repeated or periodic chlorination.

Some final thoughts from Liz: “I am so happy with the results. I am so glad to have won this and will be testing for nitrates every year between April and October as Lyons Lab has indicated. I am a bit smarter as to well water in the country now.”

Minnesota’s Well and Water System Disinfection Fact Sheet

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 16:26:09 GMT

Written by Steve Wilson, Groundwater Hydrologist at the Illinois State Water Survey

When I first started working on the Private Well Class materials, we made the decision to use existing, publicly available resources from the web for images because we had no budget for creating original figures and diagrams. It required us to search the web, and quickly we discovered that there was a lot of redundancy and “reinventing of the wheel” for many of the guides and fact sheets available to well owners. It was the right decision because so many people before us, extension, health departments, and universities, had created vast libraries of materials available for well owners. For instance, I literally looked at dozens of documents on well disinfection. Initially this was annoying, but in the end was a good thing, it allowed me to pick what I felt were the best materials to provide through our class.

The Minnesota Department of Health is a very well managed and funded state agency that provides a number of exceptional materials freely available to well owners. Their well disinfection fact sheet is no exception. It was the one I settled on. I felt it was thorough, well written, and covered all of the important information a well owner would need to know when disinfecting their well.

But a year or so ago, their fact sheet changed. It went from 10 pages down to 6, and though still well written, they removed a number of details that made it clear and more comprehensive. I was a little disappointed. None-the-less, because we work hard to give credit to the groups that develop the wonderful materials we have available to us, we linked to the new version and suggested it to well owners. Then, as fate would have it, I was at a meeting where a colleague brought up the manual. He mentioned that he felt the old version was a better document. I used that as validation, and because I had retained a copy of the previous version, I decided to go back to offering the previous version as a resource on our website.

I wanted to write something about this fact sheet because I think it is the approach everyone should be using when a well owner asks them about disinfecting their well. It includes step by step instructions, explains why taking these steps are necessary, and has pictures to clearly show you what things look like.

You can download the fact sheet here.

We welcome your feedback, and if you have any resources that are specific to a topic that you believe are exceptional, please share them with us at info@privatewellclass.org.

Partner Interview with Janet Agnoletti, BACOG

Mon, 08 Aug 2016 18:29:55 GMT

The Private Well Class recognizes partners who have exceptional local and community programs. Janet Agnoletti and the Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) in Illinois have developed a strong network with partners, useful strategies, and overcome challenges.

We interviewed Janet to gain insight on the inner workings of a community program and how they strive to attain success in their goals and objectives.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit of your position, background, and what your role is at BACOG?

JA: I am the Executive Director of BACOG, and I started in this position in 2000. I have a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Illinois Institute of Technology. I worked as a planner for the City of Evanston in my early career and then as a consultant to a number of suburban communities and not-for-profits. My interests have always included environmental issues – which are a critical consideration in regional land planning..

Q: Can you talk a little about what BACOG is and what it does in respect to water resource initiatives?

JA: The Barrington Area Council of Governments (BACOG) was formed in 1970, and it is a regional planning organization comprised of local government members in the northwest suburban area (of Chicago). The organization addresses: planning, development and land use issues; environmental matters including groundwater; legislative advocacy; regional emergency preparedness; training, workshops and networking for members; and intergovernmental collaboration and communications.

I started the groundwater initiative in 2001; while most natural resources had been extensively studied in the early decades of BACOG, there was little information about groundwater. In the BACOG region of approximately 80-90 square miles, the vast majority of wells – maybe 99% -- are finished in the shallow aquifer system. There are over 7,800 wells here, most of which are private residential wells. With one exception, all the municipal wells are in the shallow aquifer system too. So my goal in 2001 was to study this resource, to identify where the water is, how much there is, what its quality is, and if it is sustainable. We have accomplished a great deal of this work and more.

Q: Who is BACOG’s primary audience?

JA: The municipal and township members of BACOG guide, support, adopt and participate in BACOG’s programs. As a group of regional governments, they can do more research and programming, and do it more cost-efficiently, than if each government acted independently. They do this on behalf of the residents of the entire region. BACOG’s programs benefit our government members with data, tools, advocacy and innovations, for instance, and some of

BACOG’s programs directly benefit residents of the area such as BACOG’s private well water testing. Our recent project, the groundwater video for elementary school students, benefits children as well.

Q: What sort of programs does BACOG offer to well owners/members in the community?

JA: BACOG offers private well water testing, a Level 1 program for bacteria and nitrates and a Level 2 program for natural water quality. We work in partnership with Lake County Health Department for Level 1, and with Illinois State Water Survey laboratory for Level 2.

At each Level 1 event, we provide education in the form of resources, materials, and groundwater experts to answer questions to residents who participate. We also provide education through a presentation by experts at every water testing event, and from time-to-time at special groundwater programs for the public. During the year, BACOG provides educational materials to the public, both directly and through newsletter and website articles for our members to share. Materials are always available at events and the BACOG office about aquifers, groundwater, well and septic maintenance, bacteria in water systems, etc. BACOG has developed four brochures to date on water topics that are widely distributed.

Our recent groundwater video project offers the video, a “Skype with a Scientist” session following the video viewing, and maps and materials for use in the classroom, including loan of a custom-built aquifer model (sand, gravel, water) for teachers to demonstrate in the classroom. The video includes information about wells, septic systems and aquifers.

Watch the video below:

Q: What sort of outreach approaches does BACOG utilize and how are you doing that outreach?

JA: We advertise and promote our testing programs widely in the community, in press releases and articles that are sent to the news media, in newsletter articles and announcements that are used by our member governments in their publications and websites, and through cooperative local organizations and businesses distributing materials for us.

BACOG has a Water Resources Committee that is comprised of representatives from every member government and from regional conservation organizations, and individuals who are interested and bring environmental/other expertise to the study of water. Their involvement provides another avenue for promotion of BACOG activities to their own residents, members and neighbors.

The WRC also has six “member advisors” who are professionals primarily from the State Water and Geological Surveys, who provide advice to me as I develop new programs for our region. We share data collected here with the Surveys.

Q: In your opinion, what type of program/outreach approach to well owners has been the most successful and why?

JA: When BACOG first unveiled its aquifer study and mapping project, community members were not as interested in the hydrogeology of the local groundwater source as they were in the region’s (and their own) groundwater quality. So I refocused our educational efforts to the questions we heard most, and that was the impetus for creating the private well water testing program.

It has been a great success, and we attract 350-400 households to each test event and in the process share a great deal of information and materials about wells, septic systems, the local aquifers and hydrogeology, maintenance and repair, water quality and treatment systems, salting techniques, the BACOG water levels monitoring program, etc. We pique their interest with the testing, and we inundate them with education!

I did a little analysis with Lake County Health Department last year, where we showed that BACOG-area residents were testing their well water at the county at a rate over 600% greater than before we started the BACOG program. I know that the fact that BACOG has provided the testing program, educational resources, promotion through the media and our governments, projects like the new video, and a consistent positive message about groundwater has made a big difference. People better understand the need to be informed about and protective of their own regional water resource.

Q: Do you work with any local/state/federal partners and how have those partners helped BACOG’s goals and objectives?

JA: BACOG is fortunate to have worked with the Illinois State Water Survey, the Illinois State Geological Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey in one capacity or another over the years. We also have worked with Lake County Health Department professional staff for information, educational assistance, input, speakers and partnership. We continue to work with a private hydrogeologist who was instrumental in designing programs and advising on water supply, quality and sustainability since 2001.

Our hydrogeologist from KOT Environmental Consulting contributed many hours of work and advice to designing and creating the aquifer study and mapping project, the groundwater recharge map, and other groundwater programs.
Lake County Health Department has been a tremendous resource (and WRC member) in providing statistical data, education, and other input to BACOG’s programs.
The Surveys’ professional staff input and advice to our programs has been invaluable, and they have provided speakers for community events and to the Executive Board in support of BACOG projects.
The ISGS developed 18 new monitoring wells in the BACOG area about 10 years ago with support and assistance from our staff and government members, and we now use those wells for annual water level measurements under our monitoring program. In years that BACOG could not take measurements in those wells, the USGS provided staff to do so.
The ISWS included wells in the BACOG area in its Kane County study, which provided a baseline of water levels for 2003.
The partnership with ISWS for the BACOG Level 2 water quality testing makes our program credible, easy and affordable to residents, and the same is true of the Level 1 partnership with Lake County.

Additionally, our WRC representatives from organizations such as Citizens for Conservation, the Barrington Area Development Council, the Garden Clubs Council, the Barrington Rotary, and companies such as Angel Water Inc. and Baxter Woodman Engineers have provided invaluable service and work in support of BACOG programs. A few of BACOG’s goals are: to better understand and inform the public about the shallow aquifer system, our primary source of water; to develop data-based information about aquifer water supply and quality; to provide tools and programs that will help protect groundwater supply and quality; and to help residents keep their private well water safe and clean.

Q: What is the largest challenge for BACOG and how have you been addressing that challenge?

JA: Probably the biggest challenge is funding, which has not been available from state or federal sources for groundwater programs. BACOG programs have been entirely funded by our local government members. One recent exception is the granting of electronic equipment from USGS for three wells in the aquifer water level monitoring program. Other than this, all BACOG’s groundwater programs have been member-funded since inception of the initiative in 2001, despite best efforts to obtain outside grant funds.

To learn more about BACOG's current and continuing efforts, you can visit their website at:
BACOG (Barrington Area Council of Governments)

Partner Interview with Sarah Puls, Lane County Environmental Health

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 23:00:00 GMT

The Private Well Class helps partners understand the value in forming meaningful relationships to create successful private well programs. Sarah Puls and Lane County Environmental Health in Oregon have established a meaningful relationship with two local high schools. Together, they have created a high school water well screening program to better serve Lane County private well owners. In this program, water testing is conducted by high school science students as part of a hands-on water quality program, with teacher/staff guidance and oversight.

We interviewed Sarah to highlight how one of our partners and their affiliated organization helped to develop an extraordinarily unique program.

Q: Sarah, can you give me a little bit of your professional background and what your current position entails?

SP: I am a Registered Environmental Health Specialist for Lane County Environmental Health. I lead the Drinking Water Program for Lane County. This is a State of Oregon program that is regulated at the county level. We regulate public groundwater systems that are 3,300 in population and smaller. We also have a domestic well safety program to provide outreach and education to domestic well users in Lane County.

Q: Can you explain how your private well water testing program works?

SP: The program is ran through two high schools in Lane County. Both schools have designated dates each month during the school year for their water screening lab days, residents can pick up a sample collection kit at various locations throughout the county and are then required to bring their water sample to the school for testing on that designated day. Marist High School does screening for coli form/ E.coli, nitrates, arsenic, conductivity and pH. Thurston High School does screening for coli form/ E.coli, arsenic, nitrates, copper, iron, hardness, pH, conductivity, and turbidity. Results are mailed or e-mailed to the customers comparing their water to the EPA drinking water quality standards. People with water quality parameters exceeding EPA drinking water quality standards are given educational materials and information to contact Lane County Environmental Health Drinking Water Program with questions. Both labs recommend any exceedances be confirmed by resampling with an accredited laboratory.

Q: How was this program and high school partnership developed?

SP: Thurston High School has had this program for a number of years and has partnered with Lane County and other community stakeholders in the past to get updated equipment and expand their water lab program. In 2014 Lane County Environmental Health revived the domestic well safety program at the county level and partnered with Marist High School to assist them in developing a well water screening laboratory that will be student ran to provide free water screening to domestic well users. There was a need to provide free and low cost water screening options, we would receive a number of calls a month from concerned citizens who were on a well and did not have the means to spend hundreds of dollars on water testing.

Q: Who actually collects the water and who performs the water sample analysis?

SP: Water sample collection kits are located at various locations throughout Lane County for residents to pick up, directions on how to collect the sample are included in the kit along with testing dates and instructions on where and when to drop off the water samples. Residents are to collect their own samples and deliver the bottle to the school for testing. Students are involved in all aspects of the sample processing and testing.

Q: How many samples have been analyzed/approximately how many well owners have been helped?

SP: That is a great question, unfortunately I do not have that data. I will have to get a hold of the schools to see how many samples they ran last year or even for the program in general to date. If I had to guesstimate, it would probably be around 200 samples during the school year for each school, which is probably a low number!

Q: How often are the samples analyzed (school year)?

SP: Samples are tested one day a month at each school during the school year.

Q: What was your biggest challenge in establishing this program/partnership?

SP: The biggest challenge for both schools is funding to purchase equipment and supplies. The two high schools got together to talk about their individual programs and ended up being able to reuse lab equipment from Thurston’s established program for Marist's new program. Advertising was also a hurdle for this project so people would know that these programs are out there for them to utilize. The schools used their website along with the County website and bought some advertising in local papers. Once the program got some information out there it proved to provide them with enough samples to run each month.

Q: How successful is your program and what could you contribute to your program’s success?

SP: I would say this program is a great success because it fulfilled a huge need in our community. We have only one accredited laboratory in Lane County that is open to the public and the County no longer has a water quality testing laboratory. Both schools provide well-managed low cost programs for the local residents that fill the need for the large number of people in our county who are on domestic wells who cannot afford to have their water tested and it provides a great experience for the students in these schools to learn about the Environmental Health field.

To learn more about the high school well testing programs, you can visit their websites at:
Marist High School
Thurston High School

FAQ: "Water from a Public Water Supply versus a Private Well?"

Tue, 31 May 2016 16:51:23 GMT

Question

What are the differences between getting water from a public water supply (PWS) versus from a private well?

Answer

The public water supply is regulated so that the water being served to their customers is safe to drink. A private well is not regulated and as the well owner, it is their responsibility to make sure the water is safe to drink.

Water from a public water supply must be tested to ensure it meets the USEPA Safe Water Act Regulations. The water is sampled at regular intervals for priority contaminants as identified by the USEPA. These harmful constituents all have maximum contaminant levels (MCL’s) that are allowed by law, so the public water supply can only serve water that is below the MCL’s for all of the priority contaminants. The primary drinking water standards can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/table-regulated-drinking-water-contaminants. A private well generally has no legal requirements for water quality, and in general most health professionals recommend that the water quality of a private well meet the MCL’s, but that is simply a suggestion. There may be some sampling requirements when a property is sold that has a well, and when a new well is drilled, but there is no continuing requirement to maintain a specific water quality of a private well like there is for a PWS.

A public water supply is required to have a responsible operator in charge (ROIC) who has a legal responsibility to make sure the water is safe. They have a water operator’s license, which they obtained by passing an operators exam, and they have to maintain that license by taking continuing education classes as required by their state/ jurisdiction. A private well owner is solely responsible for the maintenance and safety of their water supply.

The homeowner pays a fee for their water when they are hooked up to a PWS. That fee, spread across all of the customers of the PWS, pays for the operator and their staff, sampling costs, maintenance costs to provide water to the home, and for any treatment needed to remove harmful contaminants to below the levels identified by the MCL’s. For a homeowner with a private well, you are solely responsible for all costs related to testing, maintaining, and running your water system.

If you have a choice, we recommend hooking up to a PWS. Having a professional overseeing the water you drink is generally safer, and you are sharing the costs with everyone else on the same PWS. HUD and FHA loans require that you look to a PWS for water, if it is feasible, for just that reason. It ensures a safe water supply that is regulated. Many private well owners are so because they have no choice, there is no PWS nearby to hook onto. That’s ok, there are 14 million private wells in use in the US, and the vast majority provide a safe, steady supply of water. It just means that a private well owner has to be a responsible steward of their well and water supply. They have to understand how their well works, how to maintain their well, and what steps are necessary to ensure a safe water supply.

Partner Interview with Dr. Jason Barrett, MSU Extension

Tue, 24 May 2016 21:59:39 GMT

The Private Well Class works closely with many partners to get information out to the public about their private wells. At the Mississippi State University Extension, Jason R. Barrett is one of those partners. Dr. Barrett is an Assistant Extension Professor with the Mississippi State University Extension Center for Government and Community Development and he works in the areas of community development, economics and natural resources, water and waste water utilities, and municipal public.

We interviewed Dr. Barrett to highlight how one of our partners incorporates the Private Well Class into his programming and how he reaches and interacts with the public in his role at the Mississippi State University Extension.

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you came to work at MSU Extension?

JRB: I completed a graduate assistantship with MSU Extension in the Food and Fiber department in 2001 and 2002. After those years, I realized that I enjoyed extension work and had a strong desire to return. I took a fulltime position with MSU Extension in January 2007 and have been here since.

Q: What does a normal day usually entail (in respect to your job)?

JRB: I usually spend the first hour or two of the morning reading and responding to emails, making a list of items I need to address, prioritizing that list, and either working on a publication, scheduling a workshop/training, and/or compiling a technical assistance report.

Q: What is your favorite thing about your job?

JRB: I enjoy getting on the road and in the field. I enjoy working with people to assist or resolve their real issue(s). I like seeing tangible results.

Q: How often do you put on a workshop in different counties throughout Mississippi?

JRB: I am in the process of planning the next three (3) which will take place over the next six (6) months which will follow one (1) every other month.

Q: What do the workshops include?

JRB: The past workshops have had three (3) components; Mr. Steve Wilson talking about “Water Quality and Your Private Well”, a local well drilling expert talking about water well construction, and then I finish with a few topics including ‘Protecting Your Private Well’, ‘Private Well Water Testing’, and statewide contacts for assistance and knowledge about your private well.

Q: How exactly do you incorporate the Private Well Class into your workshops?

JRB: I make a packet for each attendee and I give them copies of my publications related to private water wells and I always place the “Private Well Class” flyer on top of the packet plus Mr. Wilson promotes the class at the end of his presentation time.

Q: What made you decide to incorporate the Private Well Class into the workshop?

JRB: The Private Well Class is a wealth of resources, publication, and information. If someone is working with citizens in relation to private water wells and they are not using the Private Well Class, they are doing themselves and the citizens a disservice.

Q: Other than the workshops, do you offer any other events, services, etc. for well owners?

JRB: We are planning for this year to incorporate bacteria testing for private well owners that attend our workshops. I think it is necessary to offer testing to residents. We talk about it so much in our publications and workshops and then we have to point them in another direction to actually get their water tested. I think it only makes sense to incorporate it into future education and outreach.

Q: What kinds of people typically attend the workshops?

JRB: Private well owners that are looking for answers. Most of the people we see have a private well because they do not have another option for drinking water.

Q: What is the primary reason that people attend the workshop (can you be more specific than they want to learn more about their well)?

JRB: A lot of interest and questions revolve around; how do I know my water is safe, where can I get my water tested, what should I be testing for, etc.

Q: What do you think is the most valuable thing that attendees get out of the workshop?

JRB: They get tangible publications to use for reference, they get contact information from myself, Mr. Steve Wilson, and the local well drilling expert to use for any future questions or technical assistance. They get to know that there are people that can and will help them.

Q: Is there any other follow up or services that you assist with after the workshop is over (testing, inspection, etc.)?

JRB: As I stated earlier, we are planning to incorporate testing into our future workshops this year. I want private well owners to have the peace of mind from knowing their drinking water is free from bacteria.

FAQ: "What Should I Sample For?"

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 18:20:00 GMT

Question

How often should I sample my well, and what should I sample for?

Answer

Testing your water regularly is probably the most important thing you can do to protect you and your family’s health. In most cases, groundwater is completely safe to drink, but sometimes there are naturally occurring contaminants in groundwater, and many older wells do not properly protect from possible surface contamination and can lead to well contamination.

What to sample for can vary based on well depth, known naturally occurring contaminants, and local concerns. Including the list of things we recommend, you should contact your local health agency and ask them what they suggest. It might also be helpful to contact your local cooperative extension office or driller to ask if they know of any concerns in your area. In some states, one or more state agencies might have information on water quality that will be helpful. Below are two examples. In Massachusetts, you can type in your address, and the system will let you know if you are at risk for Arsenic or Uranium (Figure 1), and in Rhode Island, the middle of the state has a beryllium issue (Figure 2). Investigate, so you aren’t surprised later. We have had more than one well owner contact us, upset that they didn’t know there was an issue in their area, like arsenic, until after they purchased their home.

Fig 1. From the Massachusetts DEP website

From the Rhode Island Dept of Health (large pink splotch in the middle of the state)

We recommend sampling for nitrate and coliform bacteria annually. These constituents are common and provide an indicator that there is likely a pathway into your well from or near the surface. In some cases they can indicate contamination from your septic system or from livestock, which should not happen if your well is properly located and constructed. The point of sampling annually for these two relatively inexpensive constituents is they will point out an immediate problem that should be dealt with. If you do have coliform bacteria in your well, you should not drink it until disinfected, and you should also test for E. coli as a follow up. Contact your local or state health agency, and they can give you follow up recommendations.

We also suggest sampling for the following constituents once every 3 -5 years. Again, we recommend you contact your local health agency for advice and additional information. The goals we all share are safeguarding public health and source water protection. Sampling for the constituents below will give a water quality professional a lot of valuable information about your well water, including its corrosiveness and other information needed to make treatment decisions.

Arsenic Fluoride
Iron Sulfate
Lead Hardness
Manganese pH
Chloride Turbidity
Total Dissolved Solids Copper (if copper piping)
Zinc and Cadmium (if galvanized piping in home or well)

FAQ: "What is a Well Log?"

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 20:14:39 GMT

Question

Where can I obtain my well log and what information does it contain?

Answer

Depending on your location, your state or county health department, Department of Natural Resources, or some other similar agency may house well logs that you can access or request a log from. If you know who drilled your well, it might be a good first step to contact them and ask for your log. They should be able to provide a copy to you. If not, search online for ‘“your state” well construction code’ and the relevant state agency should come up. Call them, and find out what agency houses well logs, if any, and that will get you on your way.

You will need to know the legal description of the well location, and additional information that will be helpful include the drilling company that installed the well, the depth, the date drilled, and the original owner, if not you. In some states, only the owner can request the log, but in others it is public information. ;There are a number of states, including Illinois, that have websites with interactive maps that allow you to zoom into your location and see what logs are available, as well as other information in some cases, like water quality information.

The problem many well owners find is that there log is not on file with these agencies. The laws have changed over time, but 40+ years ago, most states did not require a driller to get a permit or file a log, so if you have an older well, the drilling company might be your only hope. In these cases, if there is information that you really need, like pump or well depth, it might be that you need a contractor to come out and determine this for you.

As far as what is on a well log, this also varies by state and jurisdiction. Below is a well log from Illinois, and this is what we can say about this well based solely on the log. This is a 318 ft deep well, constructed with 314 ft of PVC and a 4’ stainless steel screen at the bottom. The water bearing unit is course gray sand from 307-318 feet below land surface. Sim’s Drilling Company drilled the well for Tom Parrett, the land owner. It shows the legal description of the location as well as the location in decimal degrees. The static water level is 140 ft below land surface, meaning there is about 180 feet of water in the well. They installed a 18 gpm submersible pump at 200 ft, meaning there is about 60 feet of water over the pump. It’s for domestic (home) use, the well was completed on 8-3-06, and the pump was installed on 9-6-06. They grouted the annulus from 5 feet below land surface to 148 feet below land surface as well.

If you are able to retrieve your well log, hopefully it has at least this information. It really does differ by jurisdiction.

Bernalillo County’s Private Well Program, A Surging Success

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 16:52:41 GMT

What started off as a few workshops and PowerPoint slides has evolved into full-fledged private well program for Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Sara Chudnoff, the county hydrogeologist, launched her current private well outreach program in 2013 with a few workshop presentations for local well owners. Now, she helps monitor water levels in over 200 wells and will host the second annual Bernalillo County Water Fair.

The New Mexico Environmental Department’s Groundwater Quality Bureau and the New Mexico Department of Health have received grants from two federal agencies, U.S. EPA and CDC, to fund water fairs throughout the state of New Mexico . This funding supports the water testing component of Bernalillo County’s program. Chudnoff recognizes that this collaboration is foundation to the program’s success. She says: “As a county we are the catalyst that brings it all together, but without the willingness of our partner agencies we would not be able to accomplish this work.”

The success of the Bernalillo County program is a model that any County Health Department or County Cooperative Extension can follow. The first step is obtaining appropriate resources and information – Sara, for example, began teaching her initial workshops with materials provided by the Private Well Class. This year’s Water Fair will feature a free 2-hour short course for well owners.

In addition to offering a workshop-style learning environment, Bernalillo County’s annual Water Fair offers a unique outreach opportunity for resident well owners. Hosted in conjunction with other state, federal, and local agencies, the Water Fair features an expo with information on a variety of issues faced by well owners from well permitting to understanding hydrogeology. The two day event will also offer free water testing to Bernalillo County residents not connected to a public water supply.

In publicizing an event such as this one, listing the agencies that will be present and what services that are being offered (such as free testing) is also effective at drawing in the targeted audience. The county’s brochure ensures that attendees know how to participate by including specific instructions on how to correctly collect a water sample from their home, where to take it during the event, and what additional well information should be included.

Counties interested in starting their own program and want assistance in getting off the ground can contact Sara, who is willing to talk with others and offer valuable insight. She emphasizes that workshops and classes aren’t always enough; the key is developing partnerships with other state and local stakeholders. “There are many great resources in our state and very knowledgeable experts we work with to strengthen county programs and our outreach efforts,” Chudnoff says.

For information and tips on how to get your program off the ground, contact Sara at schudnoff@bernco.gov or (505) 224-1614 and visit bernco.gov/berncowaterfair or more information.

NEHA Offers Free Accredited Private Well Class for Sanitarians

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 21:58:06 GMT

**Please note: These instructions are outdated. Please follow these instructions instead.**

The Private Well Class, partnering with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), is excited to announce that NEHA now offers The Private Well Class as a 10-lesson course on their e-Learning website. Each lesson is available for one Continuing Education (CE) Credit from NEHA for any credential program that accepts NEHA CE Credits. The course is completely free, and each lesson can be taken independently.

Over the last 3+ years that The Private Well Class has been available, many environmental health professionals have contacted us about getting CE Credits for taking the class. Because the class was developed for well owners, there was no mechanism developed to provide CE Credits. We are excited to be able to offer this alternative for the many professionals working with well owners.

How to Access the Course

To access the course, you need to register on the NEHA e-Learning website, following the steps below. If you are already registered for the free NEHA courses, you can skip step 1 and proceed to the login screen.

Step 1. Complete this form to create a username and password for NEHA's free courses.

Step 2. Upon login, visit the FREE EPA, CDC, and FDA Sponsored Courses page (if you were not already directed there). Scroll to the bottom and look for the list of sub-categories and click on "Water Quality".

Step 3. Scroll down to the Private Well Course, WQ1601. Click on that title to get to the course material shown below.

Step 4. For each lesson, view and download the lesson, then take the quiz. You have to get 70% to pass. Please contact us at info@privatewellclass.org if you have any questions about the course.

FAQ: "Do Septic Additives Work?"

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 19:38:00 GMT

Question

Should I use any additives in my septic system?

Answer

The short answer is no. A septic system works best on its own as long as it is maintained and the wastewater going through it is from normal household use. There is a huge market for additives claiming to make it function better or prolonging the life of the system, but research and experts agree, that its best to leave it alone, the bacteria we add naturally work best and don't need any help.

We interviewed a number of well and septic experts, and looked for actual research to support or refute claims of the benefits of additives. We found nothing definitive about the benefits of additives, but a number of things about the potential harm additives can cause, especially some chemical additives.

Two good resources on the subject are from the Purdue Cooperative Extension and the National Environmental Services Center (NESC), both of which are discussed below. We also talked with 2 private well experts who manage state programs that work directly with well owners. Both said they, and other experts they have discussed this with, agree that there is no evidence to support that additives provide any benefit. They added that there is evidence that some chemical additives can damage the natural bacteria populations in a septic tank or allow solids to get into a septic field. Lastly, we contacted the USEPA, and their response followed suit, “Proper care and maintenance every 3-5 years (pumping the tank to remove solids) is recommended. All additives do is give the homeowner a false sense of security that their system will be fine if they add it.”

When we first answered this question as part of a septic webinar we conducted in the summer of 2015, we received a bunch of emails from homeowners who swear by their additives and some claimed to only pump their tank every 10 or 20 years. One stated that they had never had to pump their septic tank. We were given websites that provided “evidence” of a particular products success, even videos showing how they work. The problem with all of these testimonials are that the conditions of the testing are not the natural conditions in a tank. There was evidence to support these products under actual conditions in a septic system. These folks are likely in for a surprise at some point when their septic system fails and they either have septic effluent pooling in their backyard, or worse, backing up into their home. Also consider that in some cases the money spent on additives over a 3-5 year period would have likely paid for pumping and inspecting their tank.

Additional Resources

Purdue Extension - This handout does a great job of giving an overview of what the functions of a septic system are and how additives might affect it. It describes the types of additives that are out there, and how their use might impact a septic tank. They recommend good “habits” for how to improve performance of a septic system, by reducing the chemicals used every day that might harm the bacteria in a septic system, and best practices for reducing the amount of flow going through a system. Improving daily habits can go a long way at preserving the proper function of a septic system.

NESC’s Small Flows Clearinghouse and Magazine - The National Environmental Services Center at West Virginia University has a national technical assistance hotline. The article at the link above was developed from calls they received from homeowners asking about additives for their septic systems. They describe some of the findings from several research studies on additives, but the question we are interested in, “Do I need to use additives…” is the last section on the 2^nd page. My favorite statement, “Contrary to popular belief, yeast, dead chickens, possums, or raw hamburger do not need to be added to the septic tank”, pretty much sums up the folklore and home remedies that have made their way into this conversation.

Note: Hideyuki Terashima at the Illinois State Water Survey did all of the legwork to find and put together the resources used here on this topic. We originally used this information as part of a webinar on septic system issues in May 2015. As part of that webinar, we had a licensed septic installer and inspector participate in answering well owner questions.

New NHDES Online Tool Helps Well Owners Understand Their Water Sample Results

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 22:04:53 GMT

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has developed a new free tool, the Be Well Informed Guide, for interpreting private well water testing results. Although the tool was developed for residents of New Hampshire, it's available to anyone. The tool provides an evaluation of water samples, identifying results that are over the USEPA maximum contaminal level (MCL), and can also recommend possible treatment options based on the sample results provided. The Be Well Informed Guide evaluates the pollutants that are part of the “Standard Analysis,” which is the group of commonly found pollutants is listed in the NHDES Private Well Brochure.

How the Tool Works

With water testing results in hand, all you need to do is go to the site and enter results from a laboratory report. You will then receive an evaluation of well water quality and, if necessary, possible water treatment options.

We entered an arsenic result of 15ppb (the USEPA MCL is 10ppb) in the example below. The tool allows you to use common units, so it’s much less likely a well owner will put in the incorrect units from their lab report.

We didn’t put in any other results, just arsenic, and when we hit “Submit”, got the following screen:

This illustrates that the tool is quite robust. Often the appropriate treatment options for a single contaminant, like arsenic, can depend on the overall chemistry of the water. Here the tool asks for more information to give you the best suggestion. We hit “continue”, and went on to the results shown below.

Based on your results, the tool will tell you if the value you entered meets, exceeds, or is close to the (federal) drinking water limit for public water supplies. Along with a detailed interpretation of your results, the tool will also identify health concerns and offer potential treatment options.

Access the Be Well Informed Guide.

Be sure to read all of the information related to use of the site. Also, please remember that The Private Well Class recommends using tools like this for an initial understanding of your test results. You should always take your results to a qualified health professional, such as your county or state health department, for the best advice.

FAQ: "Shock Chlorination Didn't Work"

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 20:02:26 GMT

Question

I have shock chlorinated my well several times, but my sample results still come back positive for bacteria. What can I do?

Answer

Reoccurring bacteria problems mean there is a source of bacteria somehow connected to your well at the surface. It could be that your well is in a vulnerable geologic setting, meaning the groundwater itself is being contaminated from the surface and getting into your well. The other likelihood is that your well has a breach or was poorly constructed and allows near surface water into your well. If your well is shallow, then the water coming into your well is from near the surface and more likely to be contaminated if there is a source nearby (usually livestock or septic). If so, this will always be an issue for your well. As an example, in New York there are many areas where a commonly used bedrock aquifer is at or near the surface, and because of this many shallow wells in this aquifer setting are vulnerable to surface contamination. Another vulnerable geologic setting is in karst areas, where you find caves, caverns, and sinkholes, all of which are conduits for surface contamination.

If you have a dug or bored well, they are made to allow water to seep into the well bore from the surrounding area over most of the depth of the well. They are typically more susceptible to surface contamination because of where water is getting into the well. If you have a deeper well, with casing to a considerable depth, it could also be that the well wasn’t properly constructed, maybe it wasn’t grouted properly so water can run down along the outside of the casing, or there are holes in the casing allowing water into the well from near the surface.

There are really only two solutions to this issue, properly construct a well into an aquifer that is not influenced by the surface (so in the NY example, it would have to be a different, deeper aquifer if one exists), or add continuous treatment to treat for the bacteria. The most common treatment is either a continuous chlorination or ultraviolet disinfection. If you are considering either of these alternatives, contact your health department for advice. Both have maintenance needs and you should understand the responsibilities of adding treatment.