Recent news articles and recently released USGS reports talk about the presence of drugs in America’s water supply. These reports have created some public concern over the safety of well water, but there are basic steps that the owners of private household water wells should always take to reduce risk to their drinking water.
Gary Hix, a Certified Well Driller and Pump Installer member of the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), said these safety steps should be practiced under any circumstances-not just in response to the recent news reports about widespread detection of trace amounts of drugs and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in America’s water supply. EDCs mimic or block hormones.
If you have a private water well, here are three steps you can take to reduce risk to your water supply:
- Get an annual well maintenance check-up by a qualified water well systems contractor to determine whether the well is properly constructed, clean and in good working order. You can learn more about what is involved in such a check-up by going to www.wellowner.org.
- Have your water tested annually for bacteria, nitrates and anything else of local concern. Check the water more frequently if there is a change the water’s taste, odor or appearance.
- Should any contaminants above levels of health concern remain after proper well maintenance, including cleaning, if necessary, a water treatment device may resolve any water quality issues.
It is important to note that no U.S. federal drinking water standards exist for pharmaceuticals and EDCs in water. Consequently, many water testing laboratories do not have the equipment necessary to test for these compounds.
Water treatment experts find that existing technologies show promise in removing many of these substances from water. Such technologies include activated carbon, reverse osmosis, nanofiltration and ozonation.
For those considering a new well, it is important to use a qualified water well system contractor to properly locate and construct the well to minimize the potential for contamination of the water.
For more information about ground water and wells, contact Gary or visit www.wellowner.org.