Understanding the Health Risks of Private Well Ownership

Understanding the Health Risks of Private Well Ownership
Guest blogger / writer – Julie Bowen <julie@palatino.org>

As a country, we are proud of our reputation for having the safest and cleanest drinking water in the world. However drinking water that is procured from privately owned wells is not regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency or many state agencies, meaning that the owners of those wells are responsible for ensuring that their water is safe and drinkable. Water from private wells tastes crisp and refreshing, and it can be a wonderful gift to own your own water source. It is also important to acknowledge that many residents living in rural areas have no choice but to procure their water from private wells or cisterns.  However, regardless of the reasons that their water is sourced from private wells, it is essential that private well owners are aware of the health risks involved in private well ownership as well as the myriad of benefits that they can obtain.  

The Risks of Water Contamination

Drinking water from wells can be contaminated in a variety of different ways:  either due to naturally occurring chemicals and minerals, the land use and farming practices in the area surrounding the well, and a malfunction of the wastewater treatment systems operating on the well itself. As a result of this, there are a wide range of illnesses that can be contracted via drinking contaminated well water. These can range from short-term gastrointestinal and stomach illnesses that includes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea to more severe long term illnesses such as reproductive problems, neurological disorders, and other chronic illnesses.  Death by drinking water is not common, but it has happened.  Individuals with compromised immune systems, as well as children, pregnant women, and elderly people, are more vulnerable to the effects of certain contaminates and should be especially vigilant about the quality of their privately owned drinking water.

Two of the parasitic illnesses private well owners should be most aware of are Hepatitis A and Giardia (which is the parasite that causes the illness giardiasis, a common cause of diarrhea). Giardiasis is a relatively short lived condition, that is caused by water becoming contaminated by either mammalian or human feces. The parasite itself is resistant to basic chlorination, meaning that it tends to be particularly resistant to water treatment methods, however once infected most individuals have overcome the illness in approximately 7 days. More deadly are the risks posed by the liver condition hepatitis A, which is a highly contagious illness that is also contracted via the fecal oral route, due to water contaminated by infected feces.  Hepatitis A is a self-limited disease that does not result in chronic infection, but the symptoms can be severe and pose a particular risk to vulnerable individuals.

Taking the Appropriate Precautions                      

Because of the risks of being exposed to contaminated drinking water, it is recommended that in addition to regularly checking the quality of your drinking water, and taking the necessary precautions to ensure it avoids contamination, private home owners also secure comprehensive health insurance.  This will help them to ensure that they are fully protected in the unlikely instance that something should go wrong with their water supply, and they should contract one of the myriad of illnesses listed above.                          

The Keystone Clean Water Team (KCWT) is committed to ensuring that home owners with responsibility for private wells are given the support, the information, and the technology that they need to ensure that their well based drinking water is as clean and as safe as possible. The quality of well water should be tested at least three times a year, and the well itself should be regularly repaired and maintained to protect the water that is inside. When it comes to modern well technology, knowledge is power, so it is important to be as informed as possible about what is happening inside your well, and well as any possible risks that you face. The process involved in maintaining healthy well water can seem complicated, and the language involved in the process unnecessarily convoluted, which is why The Keystone Clean Water Team can help homeowners interpret their test results and ensure their water is as safe as it can be.

A few thoughts from the KCWT:

1. When people say may water taste great and looks great – I have no problem – 50% of the time they have a problem that can make them sick.
2. Of these individuals, 50% of the time the problem can be eliminated for a few hundred dollars.
3. Some recent work on lead in drinking water found that 2 out of 3 private well samples had elevated lead; whereas only 1 out of 10 city water samples had a lead issue.  Testing your well water quality is important, but you must understand our risks.
4. Blood lead testing is important for kids – get it done if you are living an older community that has or had historic industrialization.

A few suggestions:

1. Download our free phone App.
2. Get Your Water Tested (Portion of the Proceeds Help the KCWT)
3. Neighboorhood Hazard Reports
4. Order the Private Well Owner Educational Guide

 

Obama Flint Michigan – Drinking Water Issues – Comments Water Quality Association

Dear Valued WQA Member,

Following President Barack Obama’s important visit to Flint, Michigan yesterday, the Water Quality Association applauds the President’s position on water filtration in Flint. As a result, WQA has responded by demonstrating how the drinking water treatment industry can help bring immediate solutions for the residents of Flint. Today, WQA President Don McGhee issued an Official Statement on President Obama’s Visit and sent an The Honorable Barack Obama offering to provide certified filters and related technologies, technical advice, as well as public education.
To learn more about President Obama’s statements regarding the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, please visit the links below:

Click here to view President Obama’s speech to the Flint community.

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Recommendations

1. Get your water tested.
2. Check if you see signs of corrosion or a lead issue.
3. Barrier filter (Point of Use)
4. Kids – blood lead levels tested

Good luck

Know Your H20?

http://www.knowyourh20.us

 

EDIBLE YARDS and FREE Seed Swap

For Immediate Release: FREE forum “EDIBLE YARDS” and FREE Seed Swap

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SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education & Development Support) kicks off its 2016 education series with a free forum on Edible Yards to be held Tuesday, March 29 from 7:00pm to 9:00 pm at the Park Street Complex, 648 Park Street in Honesdale.

Learn how to grow healthy food while becoming more self-reliant and creating a bio-diverse environment for a healthy planet.

Several expert panelists will share their tips and tricks on topics including
raising chickens, foraging, growing fruit trees, beekeeping, and much more. In addition, members from the Audubon Society and Master Gardeners will be part of this informative event with plenty of time for Q & A.

No space? No problem! Learn about Honesdale’s Community Garden that provides plots for residents.

SEEDS will also be hosting a free Seed Swap. Bring seeds you’ve collected from your own garden or extra seeds you’ve purchased, and share with others.

Come and participate in this fun and informative evening.
Baked goods and light refreshments will be served. There will also be door prizes.

SEEDS (Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support) is a non-profit organization that promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainable living. Visit www.seedsgroup.net to join our newsletter list to be notified of all our upcoming free forums.

Other Online Training

Self-Help and Personal Awareness
Alternative and Renewable Energy

State issues sewage violation against Sunrise Lake

By Anya Tikka
SUNRISE LAKES — Residents continue to complain about sewer and water problems at Sunrise Lake.

Some say their ground and well water are contaminated, and that their sewage mounds, which are supposed to filter wastewater, are failing.

An inspector from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) found that a leaky sewer mound is polluting the water in the area, a matter in dispute. Some residents claim the property owners’ association is not following through by notifying affected residents.

Chip Dingman, president of the Sunrise Lakes Property Owners Association, said he could not comment because of pending litigation brought by the resident.

A resident told the Courier he wished to remain anonymous because of a pending lawsuit. He said the DEP told the property owners’ association to shut down the failed sewage system at the end of January because it was leaking. The DEP also took soil samples in early February, and the test results, according to the resident, “came back very bad.”

The state says it’s looking to the township to address the issue.

“The township just sent the Sunrise Lake administration a Notice of Violation,” said Colleen Connolly, DEP’s North East Pennsylvania representative, in an email to the Courier. “DEP is not directly involved in this other than the township sewage enforcement officer keeping us informed of what steps it is taking to remedy the situation.”

– See more at: Read More

General Comments

1. Water Testing – private well owners have contacted the KCWT about this situation our recommendation is the following:
   a. Contact a private certified testing laboratory to have your water tested.  At a minimum, the water should be tested for total coliform, E. coli., pH, conductivity, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, surfactants (Foaming agents), and total dissolved solids.
2. If you can afford additional testing we recommend- TKN, ammonia, COD, sodium and potassium.

Installing a Rain Garden

Install a rain garden in your community  – Possible ROAs for a Groundwater Guardian Project

Spring is just around the corner, and a great time to think about installing a rain garden.  A rain garden is a garden of native shrubs, perennials, and flowers planted in a small depression, which is generally formed on a natural slope.  It is designed to temporarily hold and soak in rain water runoff.  Rain gardens help filter out pollutants such as fertilizers, chemicals, bacteria, and others contained in runoff.  They also incorporate native vegetation, reducing the need for fertilizers and after the first year, maintenance is usually minimal.

Rain gardens are effective in:

• removing up to 90% of nutrients and chemicals
• removing up to 80% of sediments from rainwater runoff
• allowing for 30% more water to soak into the ground than a conventional lawn

Consider installing a rain garden as one of your team’s 2016 Result-Oriented Activities.  Remember, you can add an ROA at any time during the year.  Involve the public and make it an educational event!  Read more about how rain gardens benefit a community and how to get started.

 Rain Gardens

Stormwater Management for Homeowners
Some examples of water features – Dallas, PA