The Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation District recently shared some information that all homeowners with a private well should be aware of.
In an Indiana Department of Health brochure, officials shared that private well water is unregulated by both the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to Marshall County SWCD District Coordinator Debbie Palmer, that means homeowners are responsible for their own safety when drinking from a private well.
In a press release on the matter, Palmer noted that many pollutants are colorless and odorless so the only way to know the quality of your drinking water is to collect a sample at your tap.
Samples can be screened for multiple pollutants but the most common are bacterial, metals and nitrates. If any of these show elevated levels, the next step is to have a certified lab run more precise tests and based on those results, the well owners can investigate treatment options.
The press release goes on to highlight a collaborative effort made on Earth Day when the Marshall County SWCD partnered with the Health Department to provide free arsenic screenings.
About 30 water samples were brought in with several showing elevated arsenic levels. Palmer explained while that wasn’t good news for the homeowners, they can now make an informed decision on how to proceed.
If you get your drinking water from a private well and have questions about its quality and how to have it tested, call Marshall County SWCD at 574-936-2024 x 3 or Marshall County Health Department at 574-935-8565.
