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Information Sources for Drinking Water & Household Wells
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InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.
Where to find information about a particular water well: history, location, contamination, treatments, local or area well problems that may affect the well. Our page top photo shows a well driller repairing submersible pump wiring at the well head. Don't neglect local well drilling and plumbing experts and local water test laboratories as sources of local information about your individfual well as well as about local water conditions & contaminants.
Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.
Where to Find Out More About Water Contamination: Sources of Information on Well Water
 The many linksat the end of this article and within this EPA article provide extensive and detailed articles on water testing, correcting bad water, and related topics -- DF
To find out more about your watershed and its ground water visit "Surf Your Watershed" at www.epa.gov/surf. Also look at the "Index of Watershed Indicators" at www.epa.gov/iwi. These websites can also tell you possible sources of problems. Companies with permits to release their wastewater in your area are listed. You can see if they meet pollution control laws. You can also learn how your watershed compares to others in the country.
Our well photo at left shows an open ... well we're not sure. It look s like a home-made dug well or cistern in a building basement. It is very unlikely that this well can provide reliably sanitary water.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture and EPA support a program to help farmers, ranchers and rural homeowners. Called Farm*A*Syst or Home*A*Syst, it helps identify and solve environmental problems, including protecting drinking water. Obtain a copy of the Home*A*Syst questionnaire/ checklist that can help you find possible threats to your water supply from:
- National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst
Program
303 Hiram Smith Hall
1545 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Ph: 608.262.0024, Fax: 608.265.2775
homeasys@uwex.edu
- For more information on current and future federal drinking water standards and for general information on drinking water topics and issues, contact the EPA at www.epa.gov/safewater or at:
- U .S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
Or call:
The Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(800) 426-4791
The hotline operates from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (EST)
The hotline can be accessed on the Internet at
www.epa.gov/safewater/hotline/index.html
You can get a list of Federal drinking water standards from the EPA website. In addition, the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water gives chemical and health risk information for a number of drinking water problems through its Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800) 426-4791.
This information is also on the internet at www.epa.gov/safewater. If you do not have a computer, most public libraries offer internet access. Even though federal standards do not apply to household wells, you can use them as a guide to potential problems in your water. Be aware that many states have their own drinking water standards. Some are stricter than the federal rules. To get your state standards, contact your state drinking water program or local health department.
Other sources of information include:
- American Water Works Association
www.awwa.org
- Ground Water Protection Council
http://gwpc.site.net
- Local plumbers or well drillers in your area
- Local water testing laboratories in your area
- National Rural Water Association
www.nrwa.org
- National Drinking Water Clearinghouse
www.estd.wvu.edu/ndwc
- Neighbors who also have properties served by private wells and water systems
- Rural Community Assistance Program
www.rcap.org
- U.S. Geological Survey
water.usgs.gov
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
www.nrcs.usda.gov
- Water Systems Council
www.watersystemscouncil.org
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Questions & answers about ways to find out information about your well or about the water table, aquifer, or local well drilling conditions. .
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Technical Reviewers & References
Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.
- [1] Drinking Water from Household Wells - PDF, U.S. EPA, Original source last retrieved 2/13/2013, original source: http://www.epa.gov/privatewells/pdfs/household_wells.pdf
- Access Water Energy, PO Box 2061, Moorabbin, VIC 3189, Australia, Tel: 1300 797 758, email: sales@accesswater.com.au Moorabbin Office: Kingston Trade Centre, 100 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, VIC 3189
Australian supplier of: Greywater systems, Solar power to grid packages, Edwards solar systems, Vulcan compact solar systems, water & solar system pumps & controls, and a wide rage of above ground & under ground water storage tanks: concrete, steel, plastic, modular, and bladder storage tanks.
- Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
- Drinking Water Contaminant Levels - Maximum Allowed
- Drinking Water Supply, Contamination Levels, Water Testing Procedures
- Drinking Water Testing Advice for home buyers home owners home inspectors
- Interpreting Drinking Water Test Results and Correcting Unsatisfactory Water
- Lead Contamination in Drinking Water: Testing & Correction - Advice
- Lead Testing & Correcting Contamination from Lead Water Supply Lines/Entry Mains - Lead Pipe Problems/Advice
- Life Expectancy of Water Pumps - Well Pumps: how long should a water pump last? What affects pump life?
- Life Expectancy of Wells & Water Tanks how long should a water well and its components last?
- Shock or Chlorinate a Well, How to - Procedure for Shocking a Well to (temporarily or maybe longer) "Correct" Bacterial Contamination
- Smart Tank, Installation Instructions [ copy on file as /water/Smart_Tank_Flexcon.pdf ] - , Flexcon Industries, 300 Pond St., Randolph MA 02368, www.flexconind.com, Tel: 800-527-0030 - web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.flexconind.com/pdf/st_install.pdf
- Typical Shallow Well One Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect_Jet_Pumps_1.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
- Typical Deep Well Two Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
- Water Fact Sheet #3, Using Low-Yielding Wells [ copy on file as /water/Low_Yield_Wells_Penn_State.pdf ] - , Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Cooperative Extension, School of Forest Resources, web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/XH0002.pdf
- Water Tests & Fees this water test fee schedule applies when testing is combined with other onsite building inspection services
- Water Testing: background comments on classes of water contaminants, & links to home buyer advice about water testing, drinking water, water supply
- Water Requirements, Home & Outdoor Living
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
 The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.
Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.
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