NOV. 2016 | 25
A Drink to Your Health
Maintaining and sustaining a safe water supply
Many Albertans depend on a groundwater source which may be accessed from drilled, driven or hand-dug wells. Each of these well types requires maintenance, monitoring and upgrading to keep wells functional and safe.
A monitoring program in place will identify changes in water levels and quality, raising awareness before serious problems develop.
A secure cap is important to keep creatures from entering the casing. Casing at a proper height is necessary to stop overland runoff from entering. The actual installation of the well may have been substandard or damaged later on, causing contamination.
A neglected or poorly maintained septic system is a red flag. Private wastewater systems require monitoring and maintenance. Tanks are sized differently and require pumping depending on the degree of usage. An older system may not meet today’ s standards and poses a greater risk to groundwater.
It is important not to over-pump a water well. Pulling water out faster than recommended happens when the demands of household and / or livestock watering do not allow the well to recharge( refill) adequately. The underground material, possibly sand, may be pulled into the well from the waterbearing formation and compromise well integrity.
Alberta Environment recommends testing domestic water twice yearly and shock chlorinating once per year. Alberta Health Services offers bottles and information for do-it-yourself sampling for bacteria and chemistry.
Shock chlorination, a disinfecting process, can be done by the landowner or a water well driller. As far as tackling the process yourself, there are some key pieces of information needed to create a bleach-to-water formula. Drillers are required to submit a drilling report to Alberta Environment and leave a
copy with the original well owner. This data is entered into a database for future reference and useful for subsequent landowners. The website www. environment. alberta. ca will get one started to find a drilling report.
It is always recommended that a water test be done first and that the well owner obtain qualified coaching. Knowledge of the process is important when engaging the services of a well driller.
Reports may not be available for older wells, therefore a search may be done by legal land location. A well driller may be able to assist based on knowledge of an area or with specialized equipment.
For assistance with managing your water well and septic systems or to take advantage of our water well chlorination system give us a call at Agricultural Services and Landcare at 403-845-4444.
Alberta Health Services offers bottles and information for do-it-yourself sampling for bacteria and chemistry.
www. clearwatercounty. ca