MARCH 18, 2010 ISSUE
Cooperative Extension Hosts Drinking Water Screening April 7
Residents Can Begin Picking Up Sample Bottles Thursday
The Watauga County Cooperative Extension office, located at 252 Poplar Grove Road in Boone, will host a drinking water screening on Wednesday, April 7, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The screening is available to the first 100 people who stop by and pick up sample bottles before April 7, and the cost is $15 for residents of Watauga County and $20 for out-of-county residents.
Unlike the Town of Boone’s municipal water, which is checked regularly for contaminants, private drinking water—such as well or spring water—is not checked by anyone, unless the homeowner has it tested, said Wendy Patoprsty, Watauga County’s natural resources extension agent.
“It’s really, really important for folks to have private wells [and] private springs sampled because things change constantly with water,” Patoprsty said. “Groundwater is constantly moving. Especially if the well is a little bit older, it’s important to keep an eye on it because there are a lot of things that can go wrong.
“Since water is such a necessity, it’s good to know what you have,” she added.
To help ensure that citizens of Watauga County have a safe drinking water source, the Watauga County Cooperative Extension, Watauga County Health Department and the Town of Boone Water Treatment Facility organized the drinking water screening for wells and springs in the county. It has been about three years since the Cooperative Extension last offered a water screening, Patoprsty said.
Interested persons can pick up sample bottles beginning this Thursday, March 18, and “the sooner the better, since it is first-come, first-serve,” Patoprsty said.
Heath department personnel will be onsite during the water screening drop-off to answer people’s questions about water-related health issues, Patoprsty said.
The screening is limited to 100 because that is the maximum number of samples the incubator can hold, she said, adding that if more than 100 people are interested, another screening will take place.
Negative results can be expected to arrive by mail around April 16, but if water samples test positive for contaminants, Patoprsty will give homeowners a call on Friday, April 9, the day she said she expects to receive the results.
If results are positive, the Cooperative Extension will assist people in taking the next steps, which may include determining the sources of the contaminants and checking the well itself for cracked or worn casings, Patoprsty said.
She added that samples can also be contaminated during the collection process, so it is important for people to follow the directions they will receive when they pick up their sample bottle from the office.
Drinking water samples will be screened for the two most common contaminants: coliform bacteria and nitrates. Coliform bacteria, such as fecal coliform and E. coli, are “indicators” and may indicate that other potentially harmful bacteria are also present. High levels of nitrates in drinking water are particularly harmful to infants, and may indicate that other contaminants are also entering the well. Private wells near nitrate sources, such as septic systems, crop fields or animal waste, are at risk of nitrate contamination.
Both contaminants can stem from a septic system, and nitrates can also be present because of fertilizers or manures, Patoprsty said.
“Both can be dangerous for human health,” she said, adding that coliform bacteria can cause gastrointestinal problems.
According to Brenda Hicks, superintendent of the Town of Boone Water Treatment Plant, homeowners should check private water supplies yearly for bacteria, and more often if they have ever had a positive sample.
For more information, call Wendy Patoprsty at 828-264-3061 or email Wendy_Patoprsty@ncsu.edu.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
