RBC | There may be several reasons that residents want to test the water quality from private wells on their property. In many instances, private water wells should be tested annually for drinking water suitability. All natural waters contain minerals or other substances that may have dissolved from sand or rocks that are in contact with water over time. Contaminates that leach into your drinking water, such as nitrates and bacteria, can pose a health risk for you and your family. If you are on Meeker or Rangely town water, you should not have these concerns since they are already testing and treating the water they are providing to the public.
INORGANIC CHEMICAL TESTS
If you do have a private well, the RBC Extension Office has free water testing kits on hand for most of the public needs. The kits are free, but sending the samples off for analysis has varying costs depending on what is being tested for. Our most common request is for a water chemistry test. The results from this test will tell you what chemicals, minerals and other substances may have been introduced to your water system. A water supply can be contaminated by minerals introduced directly from the outside from defects or damage to the well or plumbing or, as explained above by, leaching from rocks and soil into the water supply. A laboratory analysis can help identify the suitability of a water supply for drinking, household and domestic use. It may also explain that white buildup that is plugging up your pipes.
In some cases, testing for Nitrates is also an important health concern for drinking water sources. Common sources of nitrate are soil, animal waste, septic systems, fertilizer, and/or organic wastes. Frequently found minerals, especially Calcium and Magnesium, while usually not a health risk, are the primary contributors to water hardness and may form scale deposits on the insides of plumbing fixtures and appliances like water heaters. Water samples in Rio Blanco County often exceed the EPA secondary standard for dissolved solids (sometimes exceeding 7000 mg/L) which is caused by water interacting with the local geology – particularly the Green River Formation. EPA sets secondary drinking water standards, which are guidelines for contaminants that can cause aesthetic problems like taste, odor, or appearance, but are not directly linked to health risks.
An elevated level of total dissolved solids (TDS), by itself, does not indicate that the water presents a health risk because it does not tell which minerals are present; however, elevated levels of specific ions included in the TDS measurement, such as nitrate, arsenic, aluminum, copper, or lead, could present health risks. If an indicator test shows elevated TDS, specific analysis is then required for each contaminant to determine potential health effects. Then you will know if you have a specific mineral that could represent a threat to your health. One solution is to consider using a water treatment method like reverse osmosis, distillation, or water softeners to reduce TDS levels.
Irrigation waters containing high amounts of dissolved materials or “salts” can, over time, damage water delivery systems through buildup in pumps, nozzles, sprayers, and other system components as well as negatively impact farming soils. These dissolved materials come from the weathering of soil minerals. They dissolve and find their way into surface groundwater. The amount and kind of these dissolved materials will affect the suitability of water for irrigation. Water chemistry tests will reveal which types of chemicals and minerals are present and suggest which types of treatment systems might be considered upstream from the irrigation systems.
MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY
Coliform bacteria refers to a family of bacteria widely found in the environment, in soil and on plants, but also in feces of warm-blooded animals. It is a relatively simple, standard test for microbiological safety. Coliform bacteria are not considered pathogens, but a positive test suggests the water supply has been exposed to the environment. Other disease organisms, like Giardia, Cryptosporidium, or viruses may have also entered the water supply, so disinfection of the water supply is recommended.
E. coli refers to “fecal” coliforms. A positive test suggests recent entry of contamination from a source of animal or human waste. Tests for these contaminates usually requires the sample being driven to Mesa county as the samples need to be analyzed within 24 hours of collection.
Recently we have had requests for water to be tested for oil and for microplastics and labs have been identified that will test even for these contaminants. If you are concerned about your water quality and would like a test kit or consultation, call Linda Masters at the Extension Office 970-878-9494.
By LINDA MASTERS
