Contact: Drew Gholson, 979-845-1461, dgholson@tamu.edu
TYLER — Anyone interested in private water well management is invited to a Texas Well Owner Network training March 2 in Tyler.
The training, which is free and open to the public, will be from 1-5 p.m. in Building C at the East Texas State Fair, 2112 W. Front St.
“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, AgriLife Extension program specialist and network coordinator, College Station. “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 they 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 Smith County at 1517 W. Front St. in Tyler, in Cherokee County at 165 East 6th St., Suite 104 in Rusk, in Wood County at 618 S. Main St. in Quitman, or in Rains County at 410 Tawakoni Drive in Emory.
Bringing water samples to the training is not required, Gholson said, but those wanting to have samples analyzed must attend.
He said space is limited, so attendees are requested to register at http://twon.tamu.edu/training or by calling 979-845-1461 as soon as possible.
The training is one of 30 being conducted statewide through 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,” he said.
More than a 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 all aspects of ensuring their drinking water system is safe – testing, inspecting, maintaining it. This training will help private well owners to understand and care for their wells.”
Funding for the Texas Well Owner Network is through a nonpoint source grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board. 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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