New Study Supports Old Advice: Regular Testing Of Well Water ImportantApril 2, 2009
A U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study of water quality in household wells
supports some old advice: Well owners should test their water regularly,
said National Ground Water Association (NGWA) Executive Director Kevin
McCray, CAE, recently.
"Every drop of ground water is unique to where it has been borrowed from the Earth. As a result, NGWA's message is succinct: Sample appropriately, test locally, and test annually," he said. McCray participated in a USGS briefing in Washington, D.C., today regarding the USGS study, "The Quality of Water from Domestic Wells in Principal Aquifers of the United States, 1991-2004." Whether it is this study or another, McCray said the well owner's response should be the same. "Private homeowners are accountable for making sure their furnace, fireplace, water heater, and smoke detector are in good working order. In the same way, private well owners are accountable for their residential well systems and the water they supply," McCray said. "Testing the water is an important part of that accountability." USGS tested up to 219 substances or properties in water—more than public water systems are required to monitor. Samples were taken at the well, not the tap, and therefore did not take into account any water treatment technology installed by the owner. Water was tested from household wells in 30 of the nation's 62 principal aquifers. Results showed notable variations in what was found among geographic regions and even among wells in very close proximity to one another. "This being true, a one-size-fits-all approach to water testing of private wells may not work," said McCray. For this reason, NGWA supports establishing a federal tax credit to encourage routine voluntary testing by well owners, who can consult with local officials to determine what locally is worthy of testing, he said. NGWA recommends well owners test annually for bacteria, nitrates, and anything of local concern. The water should be tested more frequently if there is:
To determine what might be of local concern, well owners should ask state or local authorities involved in public health or well construction http://www.ngwa.org/govaffairs/statereg.aspx. To find a qualified drinking water testing lab, well owners should contact their state or local health department, or check the "Water Quality" section of NGWA's Web site, www.wellowner.org. If local labs do not test for substances a well owner wishes to check, national water testing labs may be able to help such as National Testing Labs (www.ntllabs.com) and Underwriters Laboratories (www.ul.com). Upon receiving test results, well owners can ask the lab if there are any contaminants that present a health risk—or check with the appropriate state or local agency involved in public health or water regulation. Well owners also can check test results against the U.S. EPA's maximum contaminant levels on its Web site http://www.epa.gov/safewater/contaminants/index.html. Should any contaminants above levels of health concern remain after proper maintenance, it does not mean the ground water cannot be used. Well owners should talk to a qualified water well system contractor about water treatment devices to address the specific water quality issues. The professional can advise the well owner on how to proceed. When considering a water treatment device, well owners should make sure its specifications match up to the substances and concentrations you wish to treat. Also, there are performance testing programs for treatment systems, such as those of the Water Quality Association and NSF International. A contractor should evaluate if the technology being provided to the customer has been voluntarily submitted for performance testing. "Remember, every drop of ground water is unique to where it has been borrowed from the Earth. Sample ground water appropriately, test it locally, and test it regularly," McCray said. About NGWA SOURCE: USGS
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