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Drinking Water Education Program

Drinking Water Education Program. Sponsored by: Towns of Dellona, Excelsior and Winfield Sauk County UW-Extension Office Sauk County Land Conservation Department Sauk County Public Health Department Center for Watershed Science and Education. Sauk County

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Drinking Water Education Program

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  1. Drinking Water Education Program • Sponsored by: • Towns of Dellona, Excelsior and Winfield • Sauk County UW-Extension Office • Sauk County Land Conservation Department • Sauk County Public Health Department • Center for Watershed Science and Education Sauk County Towns of Dellona, Excelsior and Winfield

  2. Today’s presentation • What is groundwater and where does it come from? • What do my individual test results mean? • General groundwater quality in the Towns of Spring Green and Franklin • Improving your water quality

  3. Groundwater Movement

  4. Soil

  5. Private vs. Public Water Supplies Public Water Supplies • Regularly tested and regulated by drinking water standards. Private Wells • Not required to be regularly tested. • Not required to take corrective action • Owners must take special precautions to ensure safe drinking water.

  6. Why do people test their water? • Installed a new well • Change in taste or odor • Buying or selling their home • Plumbing issues • Want to know if it’s safe to drink.

  7. What are the Health Concerns? • Acute Effects – Usually seen within a short time after exposure to a substance. (ex. Bacterial contamination may cause intestinal disease) • Chronic Effects – Results from exposure to a substance over a long period of time. (ex. Arsenic or pesticides can increase the chance of developing certain types of cancer)

  8. No one test tells us everything we need to know about the safety and condition of a water supply

  9. Coliform bacteria Sodium Nitrate Copper Lead Triazine Zinc Sulfate Arsenic Saturation Index Alkalinity Conductivity Potassium Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results Tests important to health: Tests for aesthetic (taste,color,odor) problems: Other important indicator tests: • Hardness • Iron • Manganese • Chloride Red= human-influenced,Blue= naturally found

  10. milligrams per liter (mg/l) = parts per million (ppm) 1 mg/l = 1000 parts per billion (ppb)

  11. Tests Important to Health Coliform bacteria • Any present makes water unsafe • Not harmful themselves, but may indicate pathogens (E.coli) • Pathogens can cause gastrointestinal disease, cholera, hepatitis • Sources: • Sampling error • Soils • Human and animal waste • Well construction faults • Maintenance issues Unsafe Present Safe Absent

  12. Some Common Causes of Bacteria Problems

  13. What should I do if I have Bacteria Problems? 1. Retest 2. Try to identify any sanitary defects • Loose or non-existent well cap • Well construction faults • Abandoned well • Inadequate filtration by soil 3. Disinfect the well • Drill a new well • Use alternative source of water for drinking

  14. Rock and Soil Impacts on Water Quality

  15. Tests for Aesthetic Problems Hardness • Natural (rocks and soils) • Primarily calcium and magnesium • No health concerns • Problems: scaling, scum, use more detergent, decrease water heater efficiency “HARD” 200 IDEAL? 150 “SOFT” 0

  16. 0 7 14 Basic Acidic Tests for Overall Water Quality • Alkalinity – ability to neutralize acid • Conductivity – • Measure of total ions • can be used to indicate presence of contaminants (~ twice the hardness) • pH – Indicates water’s acidity and helps determine if water will corrode plumbing

  17. Saturation Index (-3) (-2) (-1) (0) (+0.5) (+1) (+2) (+3) Severe Moderate Slight Ideal Slight Moderate Severe Corrosion occurs Scaling occurs Tests for Overall Water Quality

  18. Land Use and Water Quality Well pumping water

  19. Nitrate Nitrogen Test Important to Health • Greater than 10 mg/L Exceeds State and Federal Limits for Drinking Water • Between 2 and 10 mg/L Some Human Impact • Less than 2.0 mg/L “Transitional” • Less than 0.2 mg/L “Natural” 10 UNSAFE 2 0 “NATURAL”

  20. Tests Important to Health Nitrate-Nitrogen Sources • Agricultural fertilizer • Lawn fertilizer • Septic systems • Animal wastes • Decomposing wastes Health Effects • Methemoglobinemia (blue baby disease) • Possible links to birth defects, miscarriages (humans & livestock) • Indicator of other contaminants

  21. Nitrate Nitrogen What can you do? • Change well depth or relocate well • Use alternative source of water for drinking • Water treatment devices • Reverse osmosis • Distillation • Anion exchange • Eliminate contamination source

  22. Greater than 250 mg/l - No direct effects on health - Salty taste - Exceeds recommended level Greater than 10 mg/l may indicate human impact Less than 10 mg/l “Natural” in much of WI Tests for Aesthetic Problems Chloride 250 mg/l 10 mg/l

  23. Test Important to Health Arsenic • Sources: Naturally occurring in mineral deposits • Standard: 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) Health Effects: • Increased risk of skin cancers as well as lung, liver, bladder, kidney, and colon cancers. • Circulatory disorders • Stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea • Unusual skin pigmentation

  24. Unsafe 1.3 0 Test Important to Health Copper • Sources: Copper water pipes • Standard: 1.3 mg/L Health Effects: • Some copper is needed for good health • Too much may cause problems: Stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea Formula intolerance in infants

  25. Tests for Aesthetic Problems Iron • Natural (rocks and soils) • May benefit health • Red and yellow stains on clothing, fixtures • Potential for iron bacteria • Slime, odor, oily film 0.3 mg/L 0

  26. Test Important to Health Lead • Sources: Lead solder joining copper pipes (pre-1985) • Standard: 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb) Health Effects: • Young children, infants and unborn children are particularly vulnerable. • Lead may damage the brain, kidneys, nervous system, red blood cells, reproductive system. Unsafe 0.015 0

  27. Tests Important to Health Triazine Screen • Measures the levels of triazine pesticides (atrazine, simazine, propazine, cyanazine, etc) • Sources: Triazine pesticides (mainly atrazine used on corn crops) • Drinking water limit: 3 ppb

  28. A word about water treatment… • Test water at a certified lab • Know the types and amounts of contaminants you need to remove • Choose a device approved by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce for the problems found in your water • Maintenance is necessary to ensure proper treatment.

  29. DATCP Bottled Drinking Water - 2006 http://datcp.state.wi.us/fs/consumerinfo/food/health/bottled-water/index.jsp

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