March 8, 2015 through March 14, 2015 is National Groundwater Awareness Week, a time set aside each year to educate and remind everyone how vitally important groundwater is to us all. Particularly now, in the midst of the worst drought in California history, a basic understanding of groundwater and the aquifers that store it is necessary so that proper decisions can be made which will ensure their continued utility.
Regardless of whether our drinking water comes from a small, private well on our own property or is delivered by a commercial water system or public utility, we all depend on water to survive and must be concerned about its quality and purity. Water systems serving the public must adhere to specific, mandated tests and schedules. But families served by their own wells are not. And with all the things families must deal with, regular well water tests can easily be put off until tomorrow or totally forgotten, thereby putting families at risk for serious illness. Just as the switch to Daylight Savings Time is a good reminder to change the batteries in our smoke alarms, National Groundwater Awareness Week is a good time to test the quality of our well water.
Well owners are generally aware of the most common water test, the Presence/Absence test for Total Coliform Bacteria . This test provides a snapshot of whether or not your well is infected with any of the total coliform bacteria species. The total coliform group includes Escherichia coli (E. coli), a pathogenic strain which can cause serious illness. What is unknown to most well owners, though, is the fact that a negative Total Coliform test DOES NOT MEAN their well is free from bacterial contamination. There are many other species of bacteria which, though not responsible for causing sickness in humans beings are responsible for creating biofilms which can lead to the fouling and ultimate plugging of wells, and the corrosion of their associated metal pumps, pipes, and storage tanks.
For more information about National Groundwater Awareness Week, Please follow the following link: National Groundwater Awareness Week