The Rural Voice, 1992-09, Page 61Minimizing
'contamination
of well water
Living in a rural community, with-
out access to town or city water sup-
plies, requires the installation of a well
to provide a clean water source for the
home. Well water, as other sources of
water, can become contaminated. A
well may become contaminated in a
number of ways.
1)contaminated runoff or ground
drainage may seep into inadequately
sealed wells or shallow wells
2) sewage disposal systems may be
too close to the well or inadequate
placed ie. uphill from the well
3) not disinfecting the well before
testing and use
4) testing the well without sterile
sample containers
5)the groundwater supplies
themselves may be contaminated
6)a loose lid
7)the well may be too close to
other sources of contamination ie.
feedlot
Evidence has shown that dug wells
rather than drilled wells are more
susceptible to bacterial contamina-
tion. Dug wells are relatively shallow
and not placed in bedrock. As a result,
surface water runoff may infiltrate
resulting in contamination.
In order to prevent this sort of
pollution take the following
precautions:
• make sure that surface water
cannot drain onto the well
• domestic sewage systems should
be at least 30 metres away
• do not spread manure close to
wells (watch for drifting of liquid
manure)
• keep pesticides (storage) safely
away from wells
• watch for pesticide drift (keep at
least 10m away from shallow wells)
• have the walls of the well sealed
for a distance of at least three to four
metres below the ground level
• see that the lid is sealed
• disinfect all new and renovated
wells before use
• obtain a licensed contractor for
the installation
Regular testing is recommended
precautionary practise. The Ministry
of Health provides sterile bottles in
t
Water Matters
which you can submit samples of your
drinking water for bacteriological
analysis. The tests are performed at
no charge. It is important to submit
the samples immediately to the nearest
Public Health laboratory or hospital
which may accept samples for the lab.
If samples may be a few hours before
reaching these types of facilities, keep
them on ice until they are delivered.
Generally speaking, well water
samples collected for two weeks
(three samples per collection) with
acceptable results indicates a safe
water supply. Testing once a year
after that is sufficient, unless there has
been some change to the source or the
physical appearance in the water. The
Ministry of Health or your local
Ministry of the Environment will
provide the safety standards for
drinking water needed to interpret the
bacteriological reports.0
This is another in a series of articles
by Janette Smiderle of the Saugeen
Valley Conservation Authority,
highlighting information on water
quality in the rural environment.
SEPTEMBER 1992 57
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SEPTEMBER 1992 57