Water well screenings set for Plum Creek watershed Aug. 4-5
Residents in Caldwell and Hays counties are invited to participate in screenings and results meeting
The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, is hosting private water well screenings for residents in Caldwell and Hays counties on Aug. 4 and a results and education program on Aug. 5.
The cost of the screenings is $15 per sample. Water samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen, arsenic and salinity.
“The TWON program serves residents who depend on household wells for their water needs,” said Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and TWON coordinator, Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
“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,” he said. “It allows them to learn more about how to improve and protect their community water resources.”
Well owners are encouraged to bring water samples from all wells on their property, as well as before-and-after samples from water treatment systems attached to the wells.
Water sampling and meeting information
Water samples can be dropped off at the following locations on Aug. 4 from 8:30-11 a.m.:
- Caldwell County: AgriLife Extension office for Caldwell County, 1403 Blackjack St., Suite B, Lockhart; Plum Creek Conservation District, 1101 W. San Antonio St., Lockhart; or Luling Foundation Farm, 523 Mulberry Ave., Luling.
- Hays County: AgriLife Extension office for Hays County, 200 Stillwater Road, Suite 102, Wimberley.
A follow-up educational program will be held on Aug. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Luling Foundation Demonstration Barn, 523 Mulberry Avenue, Luling. Topics covered will include water well basics, septic systems, water quality and sample results.
Sampling instructions
Those submitting samples are asked to follow the water sample instructions available at twon.tamu.edu. A water sample form must be completed for each sample.
For more information on the water screenings, contact Pigg at 979-321-5946 or [email protected].
The screenings are presented by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, AgriLife Extension and Texas Water Resources Institute, a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that combines expertise across The Texas A&M University System
Funding for TWON is provided 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.
