Heller
By Jennifer Heller
Guest Opinion
The topic for this article is wells, and because of the large amount of information when you are dealing with wells, this will just be a short overview of well concerns.
There are many wells in our area, and it’s essential for homeowners to make sure the water they are obtaining from a well is safe to consume. Annual testing of your well is very important and there are other times when you should consider testing your well. Here are some times when the well water may be compromised:
- After a flood
- If you have a septic system failure
- If there is a change in taste, color or odor of the water
- Also consider testing if:
- Someone in the home is pregnant or nursing
- Someone in the home suddenly has an unexplained illness that may be water related
Your annual test needs to check for bacteria and coliforms in the water through a certified lab. The Brown County Health Department has sample bottles and a regular pick-up of samples on every Wednesday at noon. The testing is done through the Elements Lab in Columbus. It costs $69.30 for this test and you need to pick up your sample bottle in advance at the Health Department. There is a form to fill out with more instructions on how to take the sample. Follow the instructions and then drop off the sample bottle before noon at the Brown County Health Department at 200 Hawthorne Drive. You need to provide a check to Elements Lab when you drop off the sample bottle.
To help keep water in the well safe also follow these guidelines:
- Keep lawn chemical applications at least 100 feet from the well
- Wells should be 50 feet from septic fields and 50 feet from a pond
- Don’t drive vehicles over the buried water lines
Keep only grass growing around the well head. Don’t plant other plants as they may grow long roots that can damage casing.
Contaminated wells can be disinfected if the well is not submerged at the time in flood water. This disinfection can be done with chlorine bleach. More details on this process can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/wellsdisinfect.html
Wells may also have problems from methane, arsenic, nitrates or lead. There are many agencies that can assist you with well problems;
Indiana Department of Environmental Management Office of Water Quality Drinking Water Branch, Ground Water Section (800-451-6027).
Indiana State Department of Health Environmental Public Health Division 317-233-7173
Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Water Rights and Use 877-928-3755 for questions on water well drilling and construction.
There is also a Wellcare Hotline at 888-395-1033 or wellcarehotline.org.
Keep your family in good health with good water!
Jennifer Heller is the environmental health specialist for the Brown County Health Department. She is responsible for restaurant inspections, septic installation inspections, vector issues, farmer’s markets and home base vendor questions and complaints. She also chairs the Terrorism and All Hazards Preparedness Committee for the Indiana Environmental Health Association and will be the president-elect of that organization in 2022. She can be reached by at [email protected].
