Drinking Water
Education
Program
St. Croix County
Town of St. Joseph
Sponsored by:
• Town of St. Joseph
• St. Croix County UW-Extension
• St. Croix County Land and Water
Conservation Department
• Center for Watershed Science and Education
Today’s presentation
¾
What is groundwater and where does it come from?
¾
What do my individual test results mean?
¾
General groundwater quality in the Town of St.
Joseph.
¾
Improving your water quality
The Water Cycle
Precipitation
Transpiration
Infiltration
Runoff
Evaporation
Percolation
Well
Water Table
Groundwater
Runoff
River
Impermeable bedrock
Groundwater flow
Impermeable bedrock
Groundwater Movement
Groundwater Movement
St.Croix County Geology
Aquifer – (n.) A water bearing geological
formation.
Soil
Private vs. Public Water Supplies
Public Water Supplies
¾Regularly tested and
regulated by drinking water
standards.
Private Wells
¾Not required to be regularly
tested.
¾Not required to take
corrective action
¾Owners must take special
precautions to ensure safe
drinking water.
Why do people test their water?
¾
¾
¾
¾
¾
Installed a new well
Change in taste or odor
Buying or selling their home
Plumbing 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 contamination may cause intestinal 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
test tells us
everything 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 Chloride
Other important
indicator tests:
¾
¾
¾
¾
Saturation Index
Alkalinity
Conductivity
Potassium
Red = human-influenced, Blue = naturally found
Laboratory Results:
Homeowners Package:
Bacteria-Coliform
Hardness-Total
Alkalinity
Conductivity
Absent
357
326
724
mg/l CaCO3
mg/l CaCO3
umhos/cm
Homeowners Metal Package:
Arsenic (VISTA-ICP) Less Than 0.005
Calcium
0.5
Copper (VISTA-ICP)
0.031
Iron (VISTA-ICP)
0.065
Lead (VISTA-ICP)
0.016
mg/l (None Detected
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
¾
Coliform bacteria may indicate
the presence of more harmful
bacteria with similar life cycles.
¾
Harmful bacteria can cause
gastrointestinal disease,
cholera, hepatitis
¾
If any is present assume that the
water is unsafe
Present =Unsafe
¾
Sources:
Absent = Safe
z
z
z
Live in soils and on vegetation
Human and animal waste
Sampling error
E.coli bacteria
¾
Type of bacteria found in the
intestines of 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
to drink.
What should I do if I have
Bacteria Problems?
Use alternative source of water for drinking
2. Retest
3. Try to identify any sanitary defects
1.
z
z
z
z
Loose or non-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.
Rock and Soil Impacts
on Water Quality
Tests for Aesthetic Problems
Hardness
¾
¾
¾
Natural (rocks and soils)
Primarily calcium and
magnesium
Both may benefit health
“HARD”
200
IDEAL?
150
¾
Problems: scaling, scum,
use more detergent,
decrease water heater
efficiency
“SOFT”
0
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 plumbing
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
“Transitional”
2
Less than 0.2 mg/L
0
“Natural”
“NATURAL”
Nitrate-Nitrogen
Health Effects:
¾ Methemoglobinemia (blue
baby disease)
¾ Possible links to birth defects
and miscarriages (humans and
livestock)
¾ Indicator of other contaminants
Sources:
¾ Agricultural fertilizer
¾ Lawn fertilizer
¾ Septic systems
¾ Animal wastes
18.0
16.0
2007 NO3-N Concentration (mg/L)
14.0
12.0
10.0
1999 v. 2007
2003 v 2007
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
1999/2003 NO3-N Concentration (mg/L)
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
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
Less than 10 mg/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 yellow stains
on clothing, fixtures
Potential for iron
bacteria
z
Slime, odor, oily film
0.3 mg/L
0
Test Important to Health
Copper
¾
¾
Sources: Copper water pipes
Standard: 1.3 mg/L
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 pipes (pre-1985)
Standard: 0.015 mg/L (15 ppb)
Unsafe
0.015
Health Effects:
¾ Young children, infants and
unborn children are particularly
vulnerable.
¾ Lead may damage the brain,
kidneys, nervous system, red
blood cells, reproductive system.
0
Lead and Copper
Solutions:
¾ Run water until cold before drinking.
¾ Use a treatment device.
Test Important to Health
Arsenic
¾
¾
Sources: Naturally occurring in
mineral deposits
Standard: 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb)
Health Effects:
¾ Increased risk of skin cancers
as well as lung, liver, bladder,
kidney, and colon cancers.
¾ Circulatory disorders
¾ Stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea
¾ Unusual skin pigmentation
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
of Commerce for the problems
found in your water
¾
Maintenance is necessary to
ensure proper treatment.
Next Steps
¾ Test
well annually for bacteria, or if water
changes color or clarity.
¾ If levels are elevated, test again in 15
months for nitrate.
Next Steps
¾Test 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 County has long
history of groundwater
education.
Past results are
summarized in
groundwater guide.
Maps display nearly
2,100 results.
¾Can
be found online at: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/stcroix/cnred/index.html
Thank you for coming!
The boundaries of the University
are the boundaries of the state.