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Our weekly news column bringing the most current, non-biased health
information to the consumer. |
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August 11, 2009 |
A Publication of QVHD |
National Water Quality Month
By: V. Deborah Culligan, RN, MPH,
Deputy Director QVHD
August is National Water
Quality Month. Your regional water authority is responsible for making
sure the public water you use is safe. It is your responsibility to
protect the public water supply by obeying rules posted by water
authorities and not contaminating public watershed areas with
pollutants. For example, never dump unwanted household products down
roadside drains. Roadside drains are called catch basins or storm
sewers. You may think that these drains collect wastewater that goes
into the sewers. But the fact is that many of these drains are
collection points for the water that we drink! Most of these drains do
not have filtering systems. The water that they collect often flows
right into the drinking water supply. It is essential that you never
dump pollutants such as used motor oil or paints nor waste like dog
feces or fertilizers into these drains. Dumping of such products can
cause contamination and pollution of your community's drinking water
supply.
It may help if you understand the water collection process. Most
groundwater (the water which flows underground and is replenished by
rain) eventually becomes drinking water. It is collected via natural
underground routes or through man-made systems, known as catch basins.
(Those are the drains you see along the road that you always thought
were part of the sewer system.) Which roadside drains are part of the
water collection system is hard to know unless you study a water supply
map. The part of a town where water is collected for the drinking water
supply is called a public water supply watershed area. These areas are
marked by signs, but most of us are unaware of the exact location and
boundaries of these areas.
HOME OWNERS NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR WELLS . If you are a homeowner
who uses drinking water from a well, it becomes your responsibility to
be sure that your drinking water is safe. Many things can affect a well,
especially periods of heavy rain as we have seen this year. Periodic
water quality testing of private well water is recommended for all
private well owners, (regardless of the weather) and should be part of
routine household maintenance. At a minimum, private well water should
be tested annually for total coliform bacteria, nitrite/nitrates, pH,
color and turbidity.
The occurrence of bacteria in well water is common, treatable and in
most cases preventable. Many older wells have the well head located
below the ground surface. This increases the risk of contamination due
to surface water intrusion. Actions to decrease the risk of
contamination include: Extending the well casing at least six inches
above the ground surface; providing a watertight well cap; inspecting
and repairing any cracks or corrosion in the well casing; and directing
surface water away from the well. All work on the well must be done by a
Connecticut registered well contractor, with proper permits obtained
from this health district. If your well floods due to heavy rainfall,
you should consider it contaminated by bacteria and it should be
disinfected. (Disinfection procedure are available from this office.)
The State of Connecticut , Department of Public Health, Environmental
Health Section (with the EPA and UCONN) has published “A Guide to
Drinking Water Quality.” In this guide, several recommendations are made
for protecting your well. Some of the suggestions are: Know where your
well is located; Be sure that the well has a cap or sanitary seal to
prevent unauthorized use of, or entry into, the well; Periodically
inspect exposed parts of the well for problems; Slope the area around
the well to drain surface runoff away from the well; Avoid mixing or
using pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, degreasers, fuels or other
pollutants near the well; And never dispose of hazardous materials into
a septic system.
There are other things to think about if you have a well. For example,
there are water-related appliances, like well pressure tanks, hot water
heaters, humidifiers and dehumidifiers, that help make the water most
suitable for your purposes. These appliances need periodic maintenance
and servicing, just like your furnace does. Don't wait until they stop
functioning.
For a complete packet on wells, well maintenance, water testing and
decontamination procedures, District residents can call QVHD, 248-4528,
or request on line, www.qvhd.org.
| An Ounce of Prevention is a
publication of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District, located at
1151 Hartford Turnpike, North Haven, CT 06473. Telephone:
248-4528. An Ounce of Prevention is
written by V. Deborah Culligan. The articles are published in the following local newspapers, The Advisor &
Beth-Wood News.
The content is provided as health education and
information to help you make health decisions. It is not intended to
be legal or medical advice, or substitute for recommendations made
by your health care provider. Address all comments to the district
office. |
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