SWCD now has well testing kits available

VW independent/submitted information

The Van Wert Soil & Water Conservation District has partnered with Heidelberg University’s National Center for Water Quality Research to offer residents the opportunity to have their well water tested.

If drinking water comes from a private well, owners are responsible for their water’s safety. For those who have never had their water supply tested, it is always a good idea to educate oneself on what is present in drinking water and also provide oneself with some baseline information in the event there are changes in the future that may impact the quality of the water supply.

A well has an increased likelihood of contamination if:

• It is more than 20 years old
• It was dug or driven, rather than drilled
• It is shallow
• It is sandy
• A chemical spill is known to have happened nearby
• It is near possible sources of contamination, such as cropland, feedlots, landfills, or industrial sites, active or abandoned

Even if a well fits none of these categories, one cannot know the quality of one’s water without testing. Contaminants may have entered the ground without well owners’ knowledge or before they lived at the site.

Test kits available include:

• Nitrate/Inorganic Suite — Includes nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chloride, sulfate, fluoride, soluble phosphorus, silica, and conductivity; cost $25.
• Pesticide Immunoassay Screen — Detects major herbicides such as atrazine (Aatrex), simazine (Princep), alachlor (Lasso), metolachlor (Dual), and acetochlor (Harness); cost $60.
• Metals by ICP/MS — Includes antimony, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, selenium, aluminum, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, nickel, sodium, calcium, strontium, cobalt, magnesium, potassium, silica, and vanadium; cost $75.

The test kits will be for sale Monday, October 1, through Friday, October 12. Water samples need to be returned to the Van Wert SWCD on Monday, October 15, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Participants can expect confidential results back in 2-4 weeks from Heidelberg University.