Protect Your Drinking Water - Calumet County

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Tips to keep your water cleanKnow the threats: Minimize your risksIf you are aware of the threats, you can take action to reduce the risks ofcontaminating your water and that of your neighbors. Water resources canbe threatened by:• Barnyards and other areas where manure accumulates.• Cropland and lawns where fertilizers, chemicals or manure are applied.• Malfunctioning septic systems.• Rainwater or snowmelt runoff from roads and other paved areas.• Improper household waste disposal.WELL THATIS IN USEUNUSEDWELLSINKHOLELIMESTONEAT OR NEARSURFACEKarst regions have bedrock with connecting cracks and layers betweenrocks that easily transport water and pollutants to the groundwater.8
Test your well waterADDITIONAL WELL WATER TESTS TO CONSIDERProtect the water you drink – Keep it cleanAs a homeowner with a private well, it is your responsibility to have your watertested regularly and to know it is safe to drink. It is recommended that all privatewells be tested at least once per year for coliform bacteria and more often ifchanges in water taste, odor or color are noticed. Calumet County well ownersmay benefit from more frequent testing to detect seasonal or weather-relatedtrends. There may be additional tests for you to conduct, based on activities aroundyou, or if bacteria levels indicate that your well is vulnerable to contamination.Source: WDNR publication, Tests for Drinking Water from Private Wells. PUBL-DG-023 2007Contaminant Which wells or homes should be tested? How often should I test?NitratePesticidesVOCs(solvents,gasoline,fuel oil)PCBsArsenicLeadCopper• All wells in Calumet County with noprevious testing history• Wells with previous tests resultsexceeding 5 ppm• Wells used by pregnant women orinfants.• Well is within ¼ mile of agriculturalfields, orchards, or pesticide manufacturing,storage or mixing facilities.• Wells within ¼ mile of a landfill,underground fuel or gasoline tankand wells within ¼ mile of wheresolvents have been used (dry cleaner,automotive garage, body shop, etc.).• Water with an oily sheen orpetroleum odor, and submersiblepump installed before 1979.• Every well, especially those nearformer or current orchard sites.• Wells near orchards.• Homes with copper plumbinginstalled before 1985 or with brassfixtures; and naturally-soft water.• Water used to prepare infant formulaor if any resident in home experiencesrepeated symptoms of nausea,diarrhea or abdominal cramps.Homes most at risk have new copperplumbing or naturally-soft water.• Annually• Quarterly testing for 1 year• Test after heavy rains orsnowmelt• Recommended to determineif nitrate levelsfluctuate seasonally orare event-related.• Test before pregnancyand at time of birth.• Once every 5-10 years.• Test once every5-10 years or whensolvent or gasoline tasteor odor is noticed.• Test once if needed.• Test once.• Test annually if arsenicis present.• Re-test if iron levelsincrease or if waterchanges in taste or odor.• Consider one-time test.• Homes with new copperplumbing should bere-tested in 6 months.• Test before and afterflushing the faucet for2-3 minutes.9
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Protect Your Drinking Water - Calumet County

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