EATON — A free event is being held for Preble County homeowners to have their private well water tested for harmful pollutants.
This event is being held on March 19 from 6-8 p.m., at the Collinsville Community Center, located at 5113 Huston Rd.
Preble and Butler Soil and Water Conservation Districts will be working with the Butler County Stream Team and Miami Conservancy District to help owners understand their private wells. This event will provide homeowners the opportunity for free nitrate and bacteria tests.
•Nitrates: Nitrogen is an essential element, but run off from pesticides and fertilizer can elevate the water supply into unhealthy levels of Nitrates. It can be particularly dangerous for infants and pregnant women. Testing for Nitrogen takes approximately 15 minutes.
•Bacteria: Bacteria are a result of human or animal waste. If well casing is not water-tight bacteria from septic systems, insects, rodents or other animals could make its way into the water. Homeowners interested in this test should be prepared to receive instructions to collect a well water sample that will then be dropped off for testing April 13 or May 11.
These contaminants are naturally occurring, but can be amplified by human activity and may escalate to dangerous levels. Because you cannot identify any of these by taste, sight or smell it is recommended that if you have a private well you test it annually.
“Many people generally don’t think about their drinking water. It comes out of the tap and that’s the end of it” says Tim McLelland with the Hamilton to New Baltimore Groundwater Consortium.
He noted “While public water systems must comply with state and federal drinking water standards, private well owners are responsible for testing and maintaining the quality of their own well water.”
Interested well owners are asked to bring a sample of their private well water in a clean jar to the event on March 19.
More information about collecting the sample can be found at www.prebleswcd.org or by calling Preble SWCD at 937-456-5159.
