Drinking Water
Education
Program
St. Croix County
y
Town of Richmond
Sponsored by:
• Town of Richmond
• St. Croix County UW-Extension
• St.
St Croix County Land and Water
Conservation Department
• Center for Watershed Science and Education
Through the University of WisconsinWisconsin-Extension, all Wisconsin people can access
University resources and engage in lifelong learning, wherever they live and work.
Today’s
Today
s presentation
o
What is groundwater and where does it come from?
o
What do my individual test results mean?
o
General groundwater quality in the Town of
Richmond.
o
Improving your water quality
The Water Cycle
Precipitation
Transpiration
I filt ti
Infiltration
Runoff
Evaporation
Percolation
W ll
Well
Water Table
Groundwater
Runoff
River
Groundwater Movement
St.Croix County Geology
Aquifer – (n.) A geologic formation that stores and transmits water
Soil
Private vs. Public Water Supplies
Public Water Supplies
‰ Regularly tested and
regulated by drinking water
standards.
Private Wells
‰ Not required to be
regularly tested.
‰ Not required to take
corrective
ti action
ti
‰ Owners must take special
precautions to ensure safe
drinking water.
Why do people test their water?
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Installed a new well
Change
g in taste or odor
Buying or selling their home
Plumbing
g issues
Want to know if it’s safe to
drink.
What are the Health Concerns?
¾
Acute Effects – Usually seen within a
short time after exposure to a
substance.
(
(ex.
Bacterial
B t i l contamination
t i ti may cause intestinal
i t ti l di
disease))
¾
Chronic Effects – Results from
exposure to a substance over a long
period of time.
(ex. Arsenic or pesticides can increase the chance of
developing certain types of cancer)
No one
ttestt ttells
ll us
everything
y
g we
need to know
about the
safety and
condition of a
water supply
Interpreting Drinking Water
Test Results
Tests important to
health:
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
Coliform bacteria
Sodium
Nitrate
Copper
Lead
Triazine
Zinc
Sulfate
Arsenic
Tests for aesthetic
(taste,color,odor)
problems:
¾
Hardness
¾ Iron
¾ Manganese
¾ Chl
Chloride
id
Other important
indicator tests:
¾
¾
¾
¾
Saturation Index
Alkalinity
Conductivity
Potassium
Red = humanhuman-influenced, Blue = naturally found
LaboratoryResults:
Laboratory
Results:
Homeowners Package:
Bacteria-Coliform
Hardness-Total
Hardness
Total
Alkalinity
Conductivity
Absent
357
326
724
mg/l CaCO3
mg/l CaCO3
umhos/cm
Homeowners Metal Package:
Arsenic
se c ((VISTA-ICP)
S
C ) Less
ess Than
a 0
0.005
005
Calcium
0.5
Copper (VISTA-ICP)
0.031
Iron (VISTA-ICP)
0.065
Lead (VISTA-ICP)
0.016
mg/l
g/ ((None
o e Detected
etected
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
mg/l
Pesticides:
Triazine Screen
0.2
ppb
milligrams per liter (mg/l) = parts per million (ppm)
1 mg/l = 1000 parts per billion (ppb)
Coliform bacteria
ƒ
Coliform bacteria may indicate
the presence of more harmful
bacteria with similar life cycles.
ƒ
Harmful bacteria can cause
gastrointestinal disease,
cholera, hepatitis
ƒ
If any is present assume that the
water is unsafe
Present =Unsafe
ƒ
Sources:
Absent = Safe
z
z
z
Live in soils and on vegetation
Human and animal waste
Sampling error
E.coli
E coli bacteria
¾
Type
yp of bacteria found in the
intestines of warm
warm--blooded
animals and their feces are
called E.coli.
¾
E.coli are often present with
harmful bacteria, viruses and
parasites that can cause
serious gastrointestinal
illnesses.
¾
Any detectable level of E.coli
means your water is unsafe
t drink.
to
di k
What should I do if I have
Bacteria Problems?
Use alternative source of water for drinking
Retest
3.
3 Try to identify any sanitary defects
1.
2.
z
z
z
z
Loose or nonnon-existent well cap
Well construction faults
Abandoned well
Inadequate filtration by soil
4. Disinfect the well
5. Retest to ensure well is bacteria free.
¾
For reoccurring bacteria problems it may be
necessary to look into drilling a new well.
well
Rock and Soil Impacts
on Water Quality
Tests for Aesthetic Problems
Hardness
¾
¾
Natural (rocks and soils)
Primarily calcium and
magnesium
“HARD”
200
IDEAL?
150
¾
Problems: scaling, scum,
use more detergent,
decrease water heater
efficiency
“SOFT”
0
Water Softening
Water softeners remove calcium
and magnesium which cause
scaling and exchange it for
sodium (or potassium).
¾
Negative: Increases sodium
content of water.
¾ Suggestions:
z
z
z
Bypass your drinking water
faucet.
Do not soften water for outdoor
faucets.
If you are concerned about
sodium levels – use potassium
chloride softener salt.
Tests for Overall Water Quality
¾ Alkalinity
– ability to neutralize acid
¾ Conductivity –
z
z
Measure of total ions
can be used to indicate presence of
contaminants (~ twice the hardness)
¾ pH
– Indicates water’s acidity and helps
determine if water will corrode p
plumbing
g
0
Acidic
7
Basic
14
Tests for Overall Water Quality
Saturation Index
(-3)
(-2)
(-1)
Severe Moderate
(0)(+0.5) (+1) (+2)
Slight
Corrosion occurs
Ideal Slight
(+3)
Moderate Severe
Scaling occurs
Well
pumping
water
Land Use
and Water Quality
Test Important to Health
Nitrate Nitrogen
¾
Greater than 10 mg/L
Exceeds State and Federal Limits
for Drinking Water
¾
10
UNSAFE
Between 2 and 10 mg/L
Some Human Impact
¾
¾
Less than 2.0 mg/L
“T
“Transitional”
ii
l”
2
Less than 0.2 mg/L
0
Natural
“Natural”
“NATURAL”
NitrateNitrate-Nitrogen
Health Effects:
¾ Methemoglobinemia
M th
l bi
i (bl
(blue
baby disease)
¾ Possible links to birth defects
and
d miscarriages
i
i
(h
(humans and
d
livestock)
¾ Indicator of other contaminants
Sources:
¾ Agricultural
g
fertilizer
¾ Lawn fertilizer
¾ Septic systems
¾ Animal wastes
Nitrate Comparison
18 0
18.0
16.0
2 0 0 7 N itra te - N C o n c e n tra tio n (m g /L )
14.0
12.0
10.0
1999 v. 2007
2004 v. 2007
8.0
6.0
40
4.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
1999/2004 Nitrate-N Concentration (mg/L)
12.0
14.0
16.0
18.0
What can I do to reduce my
nitrate levels?
¾
¾
¾
¾
Eliminate contamination source or reduce
nitrogen inputs
Change well depth or relocate well
Carry or buy water
Water treatment devices
z
z
z
Reverse osmosis
Di till ti
Distillation
Anion exchange
Tests for Aesthetic Problems
Chloride
¾
250 mg/l
Greater than 250 mg/l
- No direct effects on health
- Salty taste
- Exceeds recommended level
¾
¾
Greater than 10 mg/l may
indicate human impact
L
Less
than
th 10 mg/l
/l
“Natural” in much of WI
10 mg/l
Tests for Aesthetic Problems
Iron
¾
¾
¾
¾
Natural (rocks and
soils)
May benefit health
Red and y
yellow stains
on clothing, fixtures
Potential for iron
bacteria
z
Slime,
odor,
oily
Sli
d
il film
fil
0 3 mg/L
0.3
0
Test Important to Health
Copper
pp
¾
¾
Sources: Copper water pipes
Standard: 1
3 mg/L
1.3
Health Effects:
¾ Some copper is needed for good
health
¾ Too much may cause problems:
Stomach cramps, diarrhea,
vomiting, nausea
Formula intolerance in infants
Unsafe
1.3
0
Test Important to Health
Lead
¾
¾
Sources: Lead solder joining
copper
pp pipes
p p (p
(pre-1985))
(preStandard: 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb)
Unsafe
0.015
H lth Effects:
Health
Eff t
¾ Young children, infants and
y
unborn children are p
particularly
vulnerable.
¾ Lead may damage the brain,
kidneys nervous system
kidneys,
system, red
blood cells, reproductive system.
0
Lead and Copper
Solutions:
¾ Run water until cold before drinking.
¾ Use a treatment device
device.
Test Important to Health
Arsenic
¾
¾
Sources: Naturally occurring in
mineral deposits
Standard: 0
0.010
010 mg/L (10 ppb)
Health Effects:
¾ Increased risk off skin cancers
as well as lung, liver, bladder,
kidney, and colon cancers.
¾ Circulatory
Ci
l t
di
disorders
d
¾ Stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea
¾ Unusual skin p
pigmentation
g
Tests Important to Health
Triazine Screen
¾
¾
¾
Measures the levels of
triazine pesticides (atrazine,
simazine, propazine,
cyanazine, etc)
Sources: Triazine pesticides
(mainly atrazine used on
corn crops)
Drinking water limit:
3 ppb
A word about water treatment…
¾
Test water at a certified lab
¾
Know the types and amounts of contaminants you
need to remove
¾
Choose a device approved
by the Wisconsin Department
off Commerce
C
for
f the problems
found in your water
¾
Maintenance is necessary to
ensure proper treatment.
Next Steps
¾ Test
well annually for bacteria
bacteria, or if water
changes color or clarity.
¾ If levels are elevated
elevated, test again in 15
months for nitrate.
Next Steps
¾ Test for known or potential contaminants
in your neighborhood
z
z
z
Gasoline?
Pesticides?
Solvents?
Check for known contamination sites in St.Croix County at:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/rr/gis/index.htm
For more information:
¾
¾
¾
St Croix
St.
C i C
County
t h
has llong
history of groundwater
education.
Past results are
summarized in
groundwater guide
guide.
Maps display nearly
2,100 results.
¾Can
be found online at: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/stcroix/cnred/index.html
Through the University of Wisconsin
Wisconsin--Extension,
Extension all Wisconsin people can
access University resources and engage in lifelong learning, wherever they live
and work.