Soil, water well testing set for Aug. 11-12 event in Falls City
Wilson, Karnes counties included in screenings and educational meeting
The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, and Lone Star Healthy Streams, LSHS, will host a water well screening Aug. 11-12 for residents and well owners in Wilson and Karnes counties.
Water samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen, arsenic and salinity. Soil samples can also be submitted for a routine analysis to provide fertilizer recommendations.
This event is hosted by Cibolo Creek Watershed Protection Plan and also provides education and training for groundwater and surface water protection. The free event is open to the public, and lunch is provided. Attendees are asked to register by Aug. 8 by calling 830-393-7357 or 830-780-3906.
“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.
Water sampling and meeting information
To participate in the well water testing, residents must drop off water samples on Aug. 11 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the following locations:
- AgriLife Extension office for Karnes County, 210 W. Calvert Ave., Suite 160, Karnes City.
- AgriLife Extension office for Wilson County, 1420 Third St., Floresville.
A follow-up meeting to explain the results will also include a Lone Star Healthy Streams component. The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the Falls City Community Hall, 306 S. Front St.
Soil samples can also be brought to the educational meeting on Aug. 12. The cost for soil and water testing is $15 per sample, and residents may bring multiple samples.
Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education credits for pesticide applicators are available for attendees of the Aug. 12 meeting — one general and two integrated pest management.
“The Lone Star Healthy Streams education component aims to increase awareness of surface water pollution originating from livestock, wildlife and feral hogs, and encourages implementation of proven best management practices,” said Leanne Wiley, AgriLife Extension program specialist and Lone Star Healthy Streams coordinator, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
Sampling instructions
Residents should follow these instructions to collect their well water sample:
- Collect the sample using a new 12-20 ounce bottle of water that has been emptied.
- Take the sample directly from the spigot/hose bib nearest to the wellhead. Remove a water hose if one is present.
- If an inside faucet is used, remove the aerator on the faucet before making the collection. Rinse and dry the exterior of the faucet to prevent exterior contamination of the water sample.
- If possible, wipe the faucet off with an antibacterial towelette or paper towel wetted with a light bleach solution to kill any bacteria present. Allow the cleaning solution to dry before sampling.
- Turn on the water and let it run at full force for 2 minutes or until you hear the pump start running.
- Reduce the water flow to a small stream, then collect the sample.
Refrigerate the sample and transport it to the workshop in an ice chest as soon after collection as possible. It is best to collect the sample on the day it will be submitted. Otherwise, make sure the sample is kept cool and out of direct sunlight. The sample should be collected within 24 hours of submission to ensure accurate results.
Pigg 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.
Learn more about TWON and LSHS
To learn more about the programs offered through the network or to find additional publications and resources, visit twon.tamu.edu and lshs.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.
Funding for TWON and LSHS 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, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
For more information specific to the workshop, contact Pigg; Wiley at 979-321-5950 or [email protected]; or Mary Michael Zahed, watershed coordinator for Cibolo Creek, at 804-350-5594 or [email protected]
