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Is Your Well Water Safe?

Is Your Well Water Safe?. by Bob Schultheis Agricultural Engineering Specialist. Missouri Water Supply Statistics. 890,000 Missourians on private water supplies 86% on drilled wells 300,000-350,000 active wells 10,000-20,000 new wells drilled annually

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Is Your Well Water Safe?

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  1. Is Your Well Water Safe? by Bob SchultheisAgricultural Engineering Specialist

  2. MissouriWater Supply Statistics • 890,000 Missourians on private water supplies • 86% on drilled wells • 300,000-350,000 active wells • 10,000-20,000 new wells drilled annually • One abandoned well or cistern for every80 acres of land (DNR estimate) • Webster Co. = 4,700+ wells over 379,000 ac.

  3. What is Coliform? • Coliform bacteria are used as indicator organisms to test for contamination of drinking water. • >1 coliform = “Unsatisfactory” in DOH tests • E. coli is a member of the coliform family and is commonly found in raw sewage. • E. coli is responsible for manyhealth-threatening diseases.

  4. Coliform-Associated Diseases • Cholera • Typhoid • Salmonella • Shigella • Staphylococcus • Hepatitis A, B, C • Polio • Viral Gastroenteritis

  5. 1994 Coliform Detection Study • May to Nov. 1994 well survey • 9 states- Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin • 41.3% tested positive • E. coli detects averaged 11.1% • Missouri E. coli detects - highest at 22.6%

  6. 3 4 2 5 1 6 Sampling ResultsPrivate Wells

  7. Factors Contributing to Coliform Detects • Improperly constructed wells • Poorly maintained wells • Ineffective on-site sewage systems • Proximity to livestock feeding operations • Karst geologic formations

  8. Nitrates • Nitrate detects are relatively low although not uncommon. (up to 16% of samples) • >10 ppm NO3-N = “Unsatisfactory” • Sources • Livestock facilities (esp. abandoned ones) • N & P fertilizer in excess of crop removal capability • Failing septic systems

  9. D.O.H. Water Quality SurveyAugust 1999 • Webster County“gridded” for random sampling • 61 participants

  10. Private wellstesting positive for coliform bacteria Sewage systemswith open discharge& surfacing effluent 28% 44% D.O.H. Water Quality SurveyAugust 1999 Results - Webster County

  11. Soils in Webster County • 79% rated “severe” for pollution potential • 21% rated “moderate” • 0% rated “slight” “Losing” stream

  12. Solution Channel

  13. What’s Wrong with this Well?

  14. Ways to Reduce Well Contamination 1 • Soil blanket (5+ feet thick) is good filter • Elevation = keep above pollution sources • Distance = 200+ feet horiz. separation • Grout well with neat-cement or bentonite clay by state-certified well driller • Use approved sanitary well cap • Rehab. poorly constructed wells

  15. Ways to ReduceWell Contamination 2 • Plug abandoned wells & cisterns • Repair/move/replace failing septic systems • Apply fertilizer & animal manure according to soil test & manure test • Repair/upgrade animal waste facilities • Install containment for fuels & pesticides

  16. Ways to ReduceWell Contamination 3 • Don’t dump anything into sinkholes • Use grass buffer strips (50+ feet wide)as filters around sinkholes • Promote community awareness of risk • Shock-chlorinate active wells after anyplumbing repairs

  17. Older wells Newer wells Shock-Chlorinating Your6-inch Diameter Well 1 • Remove well cap or unscrew vent pipe

  18. Shock-Chlorinating Your6-inch Diameter Well 2 • Mix chlorine & water inbucket. Pour into well • Liquid bleach @ 1 pintper 25’ of water depth, or • Chlorine tablets @ 0.5 lb.per 150’ of water depth • Circulate water back down well • Load chlorinated water intoplumbing system

  19. Shock-Chlorinating Your6-inch Diameter Well 3 • Let chlorine water stand insystem at least 12 hours • Flush system with water,starting outside • Retest for bacteria after 7-10 days • $10 cost; DOH has sterile sample bottle • Keep sample cool & dark, get to lab in 6 hours • Keep test results with important papers

  20. University InformationGuides Available • WQ100 Water Testing: What to Test For • WQ101 Understanding Your Water Test Report • WQ102 Bacteria in Drinking Water • WQ103 Nitrate in Drinking Water • WQ104 Understanding Home Water Treatment Systems

  21. Questions??? Robert A. (Bob) Schultheis Agricultural Engineering Specialist Webster County Extension Center 800 S. Marshall, P.O. Box 7 Marshfield, MO 65706-0007 Voice: 417-859-2044 Fax: 417-468-2086 E-mail: schultheisr@missouri.edu Website: http://outreach.missouri.edu/webster

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