Private water well screenings slated for Far West Texas April 21-22
Residents of Brewster, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties invited to screenings and results meetings
The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, is hosting well water screenings April 21-22 for residents and well owners in the Alpine area and Brewster, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties in Far West Texas.
Water samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen, arsenic 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 and TWON coordinator, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
The program will allow well owners to learn more about improving and protecting their community water resources.
Water sampling and meeting information
Area residents can drop off water samples in:
- Brewster County: April 21, 8:30-10 a.m., AgriLife Extension office, 2101 Farm-to-Market Road 1703, Alpine, or at the Brewster Groundwater Conservation District office, 201 West Ave. E, Alpine.
- Presidio County: April 21, 8:30-10 a.m., Presidio County Underground Water Conservation District office, 300 N. Highland, Second Floor Courthouse, Marfa.
- Jeff Davis County: April 21, 8:30-10 a.m., Jeff Davis County Underground Water Conservation District office, 112 State St., Ft. Davis.
On April 22, a “Well-informed” follow-up meeting will explain water well basics, aquifer basics, septic systems, water treatment and the results of the water quality screenings. It will begin at 8 a.m. at the Judge Val Beard Building, 207 N. Seventh St., Alpine. A rainwater harvesting presentation will also be included.
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 April 21. 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.
He also said it is essential for those submitting samples to be at the follow-up meeting to receive results, learn corrective measures for identified problems and improve their understanding of private well management.
To learn more about the program, visit twon.tamu.edu. For more information on the water screening, contact Pigg at 979-321-5946 or [email protected].
The screenings are presented by AgriLife Extension and Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, in partnership with the AgriLife Extension offices in Brewster, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties.
Funding for TWON is through a Clean Water Act Section 319(h) 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, a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that brings together expertise from across The Texas A&M University System.
