Water well owner training set for Nov. 7 in Gatesville

A Texas Well Owner Network, or TWON, training has been scheduled for 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Gatesville Civic Center, 301 Veteran’s Memorial Drive in Gatesville.

The “Well Educated” training is free and open to the public.

Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and TWON coordinator, College Station, said the TWON program is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs.

“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,” Pigg said. “It allows them to learn more about how to improve and protect their community water resources.”

He said participants may bring well-water samples to the training for screening at a cost of $10 per sample, due when samples are turned in. Samples will be screened for nitrates, total dissolved solids and bacteria.

Well owners who would like to have their well water sampled can pick up two sample containers from the AgriLife Extension office in Coryell County, 303 Veteran’s Memorial Drive in Gatesville or the AgriLife Extension office in Hamilton County, 101 E. Henry St. in Hamilton.

Pigg said bringing water samples to the training is not required, but those wanting to have water samples analyzed must attend.

Attendees can register for the screenings at the Texas Well Owner Network website or by calling 979-845-1461.

“The training is one of several being conducted statewide through the Texas Well Owner Network project,” Pigg said. “The core content of this program is the same as other trainings, but the information is tailored to local water quality issues and aquifers.”

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.

Private well owners are independently responsible for monitoring the quality of their wells.

“They are responsible for all aspects of ensuring their drinking water system is safe — testing, inspecting, maintaining it,” Pigg said. “This training will help private well owners understand and care for their wells.”

Funding for the Texas Well Owner Network 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 TWRI, 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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