Private Water Well Screenings Set For San Angelo July 30-Aug. 1

SAN ANGELO, TX - The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, will host a free water screening event for residents who may have had their private water well inundated with floodwaters during the July rainfall events. The screening will be held on July 30 to August. 1 in San Angelo.

The Texas Well Owner Network program is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs, said Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and TWON coordinator, 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.”

Water samples will be screened for total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria.

Water sampling and meeting information

Water samples can be dropped off on July 30 from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and on July 31 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the AgriLife Extension office for Tom Green County, 113 W. Beauregard Ave., San Angelo, or the Lipan-Kickapoo Water Conservation District, 8934 Loop 570, Wall.  There will be no cost for the water well screening.

The follow-up meeting to explain the results of the screenings will be at 11 a.m. on Aug. 1 at the AgriLife Extension office for Tom Green County. 

Sampling instructions

The printable water sample form must be completed for each sample submitted. Follow the directions for sample collection:

• Pour the contents out of an unopened bottle of water, 12-20 ounces, and fill it with a water sample from your water well.
• Take the sample from the spigot/hose bib nearest to the wellhead. Remove the water hose, if present, and take the water directly from the spigot/hose bib.
• If using an inside faucet, remove the aerator on the faucet before making the collection.  Rinse and dry the exterior of the faucet to prevent contamination of the water sample.
• If possible, wipe off the faucet with a Clorox-type towelette or paper towel wetted with a light bleach solution to kill any bacteria. Allow the cleaning solution to dry before sampling.
• Turn the water on full force and let it run for 2 minutes or until you hear the pump start running.
• Reduce the water flow to a small stream, then take the sample.

Storing and submitting samples

Refrigerate the sample and transport it to a drop-off location in an ice chest as soon after collection as possible. It is best to collect the sample the day it is submitted. Otherwise, make sure the sample is kept cool and out of direct sunlight. Collect the sample within 24 hours of submission to ensure accurate results.

“We encourage you to bring samples from all wells on your property,” Pigg said. “Also, many participants who have water treatment equipment take samples before and after the treatment to make sure the equipment is functioning properly.”

Label each sample with your name, and if you bring more than one sample, the label should indicate which well the sample came from.

Pigg said it is essential for those submitting samples to attend the follow-up meeting to receive results, learn corrective measures for identified problems and improve their understanding of private well management.

More information about the programs offered through the network or additional publications and resources are available on the TWON website. For more information on the water screening, contact Pigg at 830-275-3866 or [email protected].

The screenings are presented by AgriLife Extension and the Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, in partnership with the AgriLife Extension office in Tom Green County. The Lipan-Kickapoo Water Conservation District provides additional support.

Funding for TWON is 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. TWRI, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, manages the project.

This article first appeared in AgriLife Today.