We
have a private well. What are some things we can do to protect our drinking
water?
Living
in a rural area can mean taking on more personal responsibility in many
areas of life. One of those includes your private well that provides your
drinking water. Since no other agency is responsible, it is up to you
to maintain and protect your well. At the very minimum you should:
- Test annually for nitrates and bacteria.
A pesticide screening can also give you useful information.
- You should also test at least once for Lead.
- Make sure your well is properly constructed with no cracks in the
well casing.
- Maintain safe distances from your well to other potential contaminant
sources such as your septic system and fuel storage.
- Have your septic system inspected and pumped every three to five years.
- Take a few hours today to complete either the Home*A*Syst
or Indiana
Farmstead Assessment program. These programs will help you answer
many questions, including those above. Both programs are a service of
Purdue Extension for you to use in protecting your drinking water and
keeping your home safe and healthy.
Well
Disinfection
If your well tests positive for bacteria, one recommended
solution is to shock chlorinate the well and plumbing systems.
Follow this informative guide on well disinfection
from IDEM.
For more information
contact Jane Frankenberger (frankenb@purdue.edu)
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