Safety
AROUND YOUR HOME

Do you know what's in your water?

Whether your water comes from a public utility or a private well, it is important to know that you have high quality drinking water.

Public water supplies must sample four times a year for over 80 different contaminants. Beginning in 1999, all public water supplies are required to provide their customers with an annual drinking water quality report.

Geoge Czapar

The report will include information about the source of drinking water, such as a lake, river, or aquifer and whether it meets federal drinking water requirements. It will indicate how susceptible this local drinking water source is to contamination and will identify potential sources of contamination. It will list the contaminants detected in the water supply, and will outline the potential health effects of any contaminant found in violation of an EPA health standard.

Part of the right-to-know provisions in the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the reports are aimed at improving public information about drinking water and increasing participation in water quality protection efforts. More information is available on EPA's drinking water website at: http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw or from the Safe Drinking Water hotline (800-426-4791).

If the main source of your drinking water is from a private well, it is your responsibility to test the water on a regular basis. Water testing can done by the Illinois Department of Public Health or by private labs. A basic test analyzes water for two common contaminants, coliform bacteria and nitrate. The best time to test for these contaminants is during spring or summer following a period of heavy rainfall. These tests should also be conducted after repairing or replacing an old well and after installing a new well or pump.

Coliform bacteria is an indicator of overall water quality. A survey of private drinking water wells in Illinois found that 44 percent of the wells tested positive for coliform bacteria.

Although chemical disinfectants such as chloride tablets or bleach can be used to treat wells, it is important to identify potential sources of contamination. It might be due to contamination from soil or surface water or may indicate problems with well construction or location.

High nitrate levels in water are a concern for pregnant women and infants under six months of age. The standard for nitrate-nitrogen in drinking water is 10 parts per million. Boiling the water will not reduce nitrate levels, and actually makes the problem worse.

Two publications about water testing are available from your local University of Illinois Extension office. Planning Your Well: Guidelines for Safe, Dependable Drinking Water (Land and Water Publication Number 14) provides information about water quality, planning and installing a well, and understanding geologic conditions that affect groundwater.

Safe Drinking Water: Testing and Treating Home Drinking Water (Land and Water Publication Number 17) contains information about water testing, types of contaminants, and treatment devices that are available. This publication also includes a list of labs that are certified by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to test home drinking water.

Water testing is only part of a well owner's responsibility. Reducing the risk from potential contaminants is also important. Septic systems, for example, should be properly maintained to minimize the chance of groundwater contamination.

Pesticides and fertilizers applied to the lawn and garden should be used carefully. Always follow the label directions for use and properly dispose of excess material. Similarly, used motor oil always should be recycled to prevent contaminating water supplies.

Finally, abandoned wells are a threat to water quality and a significant health and safety concern. An abandoned well may allow contaminants to bypass the natural filtering process that takes place in the soil. Sealing an Abandoned Well (Cutting Edge 98-1) is a fact sheet available from your local Extension office. Information is also available at the Abandoned Well website at: http://dnr.state.il.us/eq/well/trial.htm.

George Czapar is an Extension Educator, Integrated Pest Management at the Springfield Extension Center, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois.
Telephone: (217) 782-6515.
E-Mail:czaparg@idea.ag.uiuc.edu

14   ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING OCTOBER 1999