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Drink Water Educational Programs

Drinking water education programs offer participants the opportunity to test water from their private wells, gain a better understanding of its quality, and learn about strategies to improve drinking water quality and protect groundwater. Kevin Masarik and Paul McGinley, Extension Specialists, conduct the education programs with the help of county faculty.   The first drinking water program (DWP) was held in 1985; since then (as of Dec 06) a total of 22,831 DWP samples have been entered into the database.  In 2006 there were 1,030 homeowners who participated in this program.  Data from this program is added to the groundwater database which currently contains over 62,800 private well samples. 

Program Content:

	Information about local geology and groundwater movement in the area.
	Processes and practices that may cause groundwater contamination.
	Well construction and maintenance information.
	Interpretation of individual test results.
	Maps showing the distribution of results in the community.
	Homeowner practices that improve or protect groundwater quality.
	Other information related to specific needs of the area.

The homeowner package is a group of tests analyzed for this program which consist of the following: pH, conductivity, total hardness, alkalinity, chloride, nitrate + nitrite (N), total coliform bacteria, and corrosivity which is calculated from these results. This group of tests gives a good picture of the composition of a homeowner's drinking water.  Testing for metals and triazine pesticides is also available.

To find out more about this program contact your local Extension Agent. If you are an Extension Agent and would like a drinking water education program in your area call our lab at (715) 346-3209 or contact Kevin Masarik at (715) 346-4276. This program may provide the basis for further work in community water quality protection.