JUNCTION — Thirty-nine participants brought well-water samples to be screened at the recent Texas Well Owner Network “Well Educated” training at the Texas Tech Llano River Field Station in Junction.
The event was conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.
Drew Gholson, AgriLife Extension program specialist and network coordinator, said attendees at the training were provided information and instruction on household wells, how to improve and protect water resources, groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance and construction, and water quality and treatment.
In Texas, Gholson said, private owners are responsible for monitoring the quality of their well water, ensuring their drinking water is safe and maintaining all other aspects of their water system.
“That’s why these Texas Well Owner Network trainings are important,” Gholson said. “The TWON training helps private landowners better understand the testing, inspection and maintenance of their wells.”
“As more and more people move into the community, it is important that landowners annually test their wells and storage tanks from where they get their drinking water,” said Znobia Wootan, president, South Llano Watershed Alliance.
At Texas Well Owner Trainings, held regularly throughout the state, well owners are given the opportunity to bring well-water samples for analysis. Gholson said. The samples can be tested for nitrate, total dissolved solids, arsenic and bacteria.
He said well-screening results from the Junction training showed some levels of pollution, including bacteria, for which well owners plan to adopt management practices to reduce potential sources of these constituents to improve their well water quality.
Those interested in future Texas Well Owner Network “Well Educated” trainings can find more information at http://twon.tamu.edu/training.
Funding for Texas Well Owner Network project 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, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.
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