Contact: Drew Gholson, 979-845-1461, dgholson@tamu.edu
A Texas Well Owner Network training will be held Nov. 2 in Wheelock. Attendees can bring well-water samples for testing. Sample containers are available from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices in Robertson and Brazos counties. (Texas Well Owner Network photo)
WHEELOCK — Anyone interested in private water well management is invited to a Texas Well Owner Network training Nov. 2 in Wheelock.
The training, which is free and open to the public, will be from 8:30 a.m.– noon at the Wheelock Bloodworth Community Center, 12403 S. Farm-to-Market Road 46.
“The TWON program is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs, so they can learn about improving and protecting their community water resources,” said Drew Gholson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and network coordinator, College Station.
Gholson said the program was established to help well owners become familiar with Texas groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance and construction, and water quality and treatment.
He said participants may bring well-water samples to the training for screening. The cost is $10 per sample, due when samples are turned in.
“Water samples will be screened for nitrates, total dissolved solids and bacteria,” Gholson said.
Well owners who would like to have their well water sampled can pick up two sample containers from the AgriLife Extension offices in Robertson County, 2458 N. Farm-to-Market Road 46 in Franklin; in Brazos County, 2619 Highway 21 W. in Bryan; or at the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District, 112 W. 3rd St. in Hearne.
Bringing water samples to the training is not required, Gholson said, but those wanting to have water samples analyzed must attend.
He said space is limited, so attendees are requested to register at http://twon.tamu.edu/training or by calling Gholson at 979-845-1461 or the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District at 979-279-9350 as soon as possible.
The training is one of 30 being conducted statewide through the Preventing Water Quality Contamination initiative of the Texas Well Owner Network project.
“The core content of this program is the same as other trainings, but the information is tailored to local water quality issues and aquifers,” Gholson said.
More than 1 million private water wells in Texas provide water to citizens in rural areas and increasingly to those living on small acreages at the growing rural-urban interface, according to Gholson.
“Private well owners are independently responsible for monitoring the quality of their wells,” he said. “They are responsible for ensuring their drinking water is safe. This means they are responsible for all aspects of the water system – testing, inspecting and maintaining – and this training will help private well owners understand and care for their wells.”
Funding for the Texas Well Owner Network is through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.
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