Keeping our drinking water safe
We are considered the blue planet, yet most of that water is unusable for human drinking and washing. Water covers over 71% of the earth's surface, however less than 3% of the earth's water is freshwater. The oceans make up 97.6% of the earth's water supply, 2% is frozen in glaciers and polar ice leaving 0.4% of the earth's water supply in lakes, rivers, atmospheric water vapor and groundwater combined. That doesn't leave much water for drinking!
That's why
protecting the quality of the drinking water we have is so important.
Seventy percent of the people in
One major way to protect our drinking water is wellhead protection. Wellhead protection is a way to minimize the potential for contamination by identifying and protecting the area that contributes water to water supply wells. This protection is necessary for both municipal wells and private wells. Wellhead protection avoids costly groundwater clean-ups and drilling new wells. Cities usually mark their wellhead protection areas with signs.
There are two main types of wells. A drilled well is a well drilled into a deep aquifer (usually greater than 45 feet deep). A sand-point well is much shallower, and is pounded just past the water table. Sand-point wells are not recommended anymore because of their shallow nature and their susceptibility to surface contaminants.
How can you protect your wellhead? First of all, a well must be at least 50 feet from a lake and septic system. Take inventory of your wellhead area and identify existing and potential sources of contamination. This inventory can include underground storage tanks, septic systems, agricultural operations, hazardous or solid waste disposal facilities, and abandoned wells.
When landscaping your yard, keep the top of the well at least 1 foot above the soil surface. This will help keep insects, dirt, and other contaminants from entering your well. Do not pile snow, leaves, or other materials around the well. Slope the soil away from the well casing to promote proper drainage. When working with hazardous chemicals like paint, fertilizer, pesticides, and motor oil, keep them away from your well.
Be aware of changes in your well, the water from your well, and the area around the well. Changes in how often your pump runs, or in the smell or color of the water, can tip you off to potential problems. If necessary, seek the advice of an expert, such as a licensed well contractor or a well specialist from the Minnesota Department of Health. Have your well inspected at the first indication of trouble.
What can contaminate your drinking
water? Bacteria and nitrates are
the most common contaminants.
Bacteria can cause stomach problems and diarrhea.
Nitrates affect babies by interfering with their oxygen uptake and
causing "blue baby syndrome". In
northwest
The Minnesota Department of Health says that at a minimum, private wells should be tested for coliform bacteria once a year and for nitrate every two or three years. Wells should be tested at least once or twice to determine if arsenic is present in the water, and at what levels. Arsenic levels in groundwater will not usually change much over time.
In summary, get to know your well water, its location and what is around it. Being vigilant with your drinking water supply is important and a small price to pay for promoting good health in your family.
Until next week, enjoy the lakes!
Moriya Rufer is the Lakes
Monitoring Program Coordinator for RMB Environmental Laboratories in