Paul Schattenberg, 210-467-6575, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: John Smith,979-845-2761, jwsmith@ag.tamu.edu
The Texas Well Owner Network will host a water well screening April 9 in San Marcos. (Texas Well Owner Network photo)
SAN MARCOS — The Texas Well Owner Network will host a water well screening from 8:30-10 a.m. April 9 at two different locations in South Central Texas to give area residents the opportunity to have their well water tested.
One location will be the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Hays County at 1253 Civic Center Loop in San Marcos. The other will be the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District at 1124 Regal Row in Austin.
A meeting explaining screening results will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 10 at the AgriLife Extension office in San Marcos.
The screening is presented by AgriLife Extension and the Texas Water Resources Institute in partnership with the AgriLife Extension office for Hays County.
“Private water wells should be tested annually,” said John W. Smith, AgriLife Extension program specialist, College Station “It is very important that only sampling bags from the AgriLife Extension office in Hays County or Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District be used and all instructions for proper sampling are followed to ensure accurate results.”
Smith said for area residents to have their well water tested, they need to pick up a sample bag and sampling instructions from the AgriLife Extension office in San Marcos or the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District in Austin.
The cost is $10 per sample and samples must be turned in by 10 a.m. on the day of the screening. Samples will be screened for common contaminants, including fecal coliform bacteria, nitrates and high salinity.
Research shows the presence of fecal coliform bacteria in water indicates that waste from humans or warm-blooded animals may have contaminated the water. Water contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria is more likely to also have pathogens present that can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea or other symptoms.
“Water with nitrates at levels of 10 parts per million is considered unsafe for human consumption,” Smith said. “Nitrate levels above 10 parts per million can disrupt the ability of blood to carry oxygen throughout the body, resulting in a condition called methemoglobinemia. Infants less than 6 months of age and young livestock are most susceptible.”
Salinity, as measured by total dissolved solids, also will be determined for each sample. Water with high levels may leave deposits and have a salty taste, and using water with high levels for irrigation may damage soil or plants.
Smith said it is extremely important for those submitting samples to be at the meeting to receive results, learn corrective measures for identified problems and to improve understanding of private well management.
For more information, contact the AgriLife Extension office for Hays County at 512-393-2120 or the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District at 512-282-8441.
To learn more about the programs offered through the network or to find additional publications and resources, go to http://twon.tamu.edu.
Support for the Texas Well Owner Network program is provided through Clean Water Act nonpoint source funding from the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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