According to the Indiana State Department of Health brochure, private well water is unregulated by both IDEM and the EPA. Well owners are responsible for their own safety when drinking from a private well.
Since many pollutants are colorless and odorless, the only way to know the quality of your drinking water is to collect a sample at your tap. You can have this sample screened for multiple pollutants but the most common are bacteria, metals and nitrates. If any of these show elevated levels, the next step is to have a certified lab run more precise tests. Based on those test results, you can then look at treatment options.
On Earth Day, Marshall County SWCD partnered with the Marshall County Health Department to provide free arsenic screenings. Approximately 30 water samples were brought in by Marshall County residents, with several showing elevated arsenic levels. While this wasn’t good news for these 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 the quality of your water and how to have it tested, please contact either Marshall County SWCD at 574-936-2024 x 3 or Marshall County Health Department at 574-935-8565.
More information on Marshall County Soil and Water Conservation District can be found at www.marshallcountyswcd.org or on Facebook.
By Debbie Palmer Marshall County SWCD
