Private water well screenings set for Port Lavaca and Bay City Sept. 23-24
Samples will be screened for contaminants and salinity
The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, will host water well screenings Sept. 23-24 in Port Lavaca and Bay City.
Water samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen and salinity.
“The TWON 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,” said Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan College Station. “It allows them to learn more about how to improve and protect their community water resources.”
Water sample and meeting information
Area residents can drop off water samples in:
- Calhoun County: Sept. 23, 8:30-10 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office, 311 Henry Barber Way, Suite 1, or at the Calhoun County Groundwater Conservation District office, 131-A N. Virginia St., both in Port Lavaca.
- Jackson County: Sept. 23, 8:30-10 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office, 411 N. Well, Suite 111, or at the Texana Groundwater Conservation District office, 411 N. Wells St., both in Edna.
- Matagorda County: Sept. 23, 8:30-10 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office, third floor, or at the Coastal Plains Groundwater Conservation District office, Suite 401, both located at 2200 7th St. in Bay City.
Follow-up meetings will explain results of the water screenings and include a four-hour educational program covering wells, aquifers, septic systems, water quality and water treatment. These will be held in:
- Port Lavaca: Sept. 24, 8 a.m.-noon at the AgriLife Extension meeting room, 311 Henry Barber Way, Port Lavaca.
- Bay City: Sept. 24, 1:30-5:30 p.m. at the Matagorda County Fairgrounds Multi-Purpose Building, 4511 Farm-to-Market Road 2668, Bay City.
Sampling instructions
Residents interested in having their well water screened should pick up the sample bag, bottle and instructions from the local AgriLife Extension office or groundwater district office before the date of the event. There will be a $15 per sample charge for water well screening and residents may bring as many samples as they would like.
“It is very important that only sampling bags and bottles be used, and all instructions for proper sampling are followed to ensure accurate results,” Pigg said.
Pigg said it is essential for those submitting samples to be at the appropriate follow-up meeting to receive results, learn corrective measures for identified problems and improve their understanding of private well management.
