Private Water Supplies

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Private Water Supplies
maintenance, testing, treatment and protection
are all voluntary!
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What is Groundwater?
Soil
Capillary Water
Unsaturated Rock
Water Table
Saturated Rock (Aquifer)
Saturated Water
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Fractures in Limestone
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Groundwater Contamination
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Drinking Water Standards

• Gives the acceptable
• level of the pollutant in
• drinking water

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Units of Measure

• mg/L ppm
• µg/L ppb
• other special units

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Primary Standards (MCL)

• health based
• enforced (public systems)
• examples
• coliform bacteria lt1/100 ml
• nitrate 45 mg/L
• PCE 5 µg/L
• atrazine 3 µg/L

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Secondary Standards (RMCL)

• cause taste, odor, stains, etc.
• examples
• iron, manganese, pH

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How do I know what to test my water for?
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Agriculture
coliform bacteria nitrate pesticides
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New Housing Development
coliform bacteria nitrate sediment quantity
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organics heavy metals
Industrial Activity
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Deep or Surface Mining
low pH metals sulfate quantity
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Gas or Oil Wells
metals brine salt hydrocarbons
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Forested Location
coliform bacteria
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How close must activities be to my well to cause
a problem?
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Some Problems Occur Naturally!
corrosive water
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Other Natural Problems

• hardness
• iron
• radon
• manganese
• hydrogen sulfide
• iron bacteria

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How Common are Health Related Problems?
above drinking water standard
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How Common are Health Related Problems?
rare
rare
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How Common are Aesthetic Problems?
above RMCL
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Water Quality for Animals
pH sulfate nitrate bacteria metals
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(No Transcript)
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Routine Water Tests Give You Protection!
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Where to Get YourWater Tested

• regional DEP office
• coliform bacteria only
• certified commercial labs
• list at county Extension office

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Every Year

• coliform bacteria
• pH
• total dissolved solids
• local pollutant?

Every 3 Years