By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
A number of town wells were found to have bacterial contamination during testing conducted earlier this spring.
According to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources employee Zoe McNamara, eight of the 10 wells that were sampled along Brever Road were found to have some level of contamination.
McNamara said the DNR recommends that residents test their wells at least once a year for coliform bacteria contamination, or any time a change is detected in how the water looks, tastes or smells.
Residents have been advised to chlorinate their wells to disinfect them, and the spreading of manure on a farm field – suspected in the contamination – was stopped, McNamara said. The applied material was incorporated into the soil, and a runoff barrier was deployed.
McNamara did not know the exact number of residents affected by the contamination. She said the “bacteriologically unsafe” wells had coliform bacteria, while some had fecal bacteria.
According to McNamara, the DNR formulated required specifications for wells that includes grouted casing to a minimum depth of 120 feet, but those requirements apply only to new or replacement wells – not ones that already have tested safe and are to be kept in service.
“Wells in this area are vulnerable to surface water contamination,” she said.
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wellWealwaysgetthis,but They Don’ttelluse WHERE to get our Well Water tested…
We found Our Cities water dept.did The Testing for $20
Ck your Citie water Dept if they do the same
More Extensive testing cost $50 Thru the State..
And wouldn’t you think each county if Not Major Town would have the Facilities ?
And How about a Website to Direct us to How to Cholornite your Well or Well Co.’s that do them? I understand off the Internet has a Few sites how to do it or Can cost From $80-$200 ..Ck things out yourself I’m afraid.. We’re On Our Own ..
Try the DNR website.
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wells/privatewelltest.html
From the City of Burlington Waste Water Department website: http://www.burlington-wi.gov/faq.aspx?TID=24
“I am a private well owner – where can I get my well water tested to ensure it’s safe for consumption?
The City of Burlington Wastewater Treatment Plant has a state certified laboratory that is capable of helping you out. Contact the Treatment Plant by calling 262-539-3646. The office personnel there can help you by mailing you a required testing kit, or you can stop by to obtain one. The plant is located at 2100 South Pine Street, Burlington. Office hours are 6:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The testing that is performed is a Bacteriological Water Test which can determine if your well water is free of Total Coliform and E-Coli bacteria. This safe drinking water test is performed on site for a minimal fee.”
The last time I had this done was about 12 years ago and I think the total coliform test was about $15, a bargain! You should also have a vermin proof well cap (about $50) to keep earwigs from falling down your well and decomposing. Take the screen off your kitchen tap and if you bug parts on it, you might have a problem.
Thankfully most counties and major cities still do have a PUBLIC health department that can do this testing or direct you to the proper resources.
And chlorinating you own well is easy, you can do it for next to nothing with materials from you local hardware store.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Hydrogeologist
Zoe is a complete IDIOT ask any well driller in kenosha racine area. I have a landscaper that moved in next to me in 2006 and he altered his lot and put in two mountains of colored mulch which one is red and 50 feet from my well and he flooded me so bad in the fall of 2007 that he collapsed 10 feet of my foundation of my home not to mention in the last 7 years he has wrecked my front yard, and from his mulch I’ve got heavy metals in my water and a home with 10 feet of foundation collapsed. I had the this so-called dnr here numerous times and they finally sent this dummy zoe according to her it is ok for randy’s landscaping to dump major amounts of runoff on me when in fact with his alteration of his lot I now have increased runoff that is damaging my property that now I cant get homeowners insurance and I cant get a realtor to sell this place, This mulch came from quality mulch in franklin wi and their website states they it is made from old pallet wood and construction and demo wood, and this crap is running on my well and zoe thinks this is ok. Anybody can ask a well driller in this area and they say she dont know nothing and they question her knowledge, the other mulch comes from northwest wood products and they are a pallet maker as well as quality mulch and like I said this pollution is going in my well and the dnr thinks this is ok, this is a problem that has been ongoing for 7 long years and even the town of somers doesn’t do anything they want to put a catch basin in my yard I said NO make this guy stop, besides where can the water be diverted to nowhere the lot should have been left like it was and the town of somers should have overseen that the town hall is only a half mile or less where this is happening, WTF!!!!!!!!