4 South Eagleville Road s Mansfield CT 06268 s Tel: (860) 429-3325 s Fax: (860) 429-3321
Free
Private Well Testing
The Connecticut Department of
Public Health (CT DPH), in conjunction with the Eastern Highlands Health
District, is conducting Private Well Water Fairs at the Chaplin Public Library
on Monday, August 28, 2017 from 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM & at the Babcock Library
in Ashford on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. CT DPH will be distributing information on
private well testing and free testing
kits to private well owners. The
free test kits will allow homeowners to collect a sample from their private
well, which will be analyzed for two naturally occurring metals: arsenic and
uranium. The samples will be analyzed by
the CT DPH Laboratory.
“A recent report published by
the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of
Public Health revealed that water from some private wells across the state has
registered high levels of arsenic and uranium. As part of the joint research
project, it was determined that seven percent of the private well samples
tested at levels higher than Maximum Contaminant Levels for arsenic or uranium”
said Ryan Tetreault, CT DPH Private Well Program supervisor. “These metals have
no taste or odor so the only way to know if either toxic metal is present is to
have your private well water tested.” This water fair is a good way for area
well owners to find out more information about the quality of their drinking
water.
This water fair is part of a
statewide project funded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
to educate private well owners and users about the need to regularly test
private drinking water wells.
Private well owners can bring
a photo of their well cap and any past water testing results and have our
professionals look at them for possible problems. Please do not bring your own
water sample to the session. Sampling
containers will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. The water
samples will be analyzed and test reports obtained from the CT DPH laboratory
in Rocky Hill. Also, the CT DPH Private Well Program will provide a follow up
report with an explanation of the test results to all participants.
The water fair will take
place in the community room of the Chaplin Public Library on Monday, August 28,
2017 from 2:00 PM to 6:30 PM
& at the Babcock Library in Ashford on Wednesday, September 20, 2017 from
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM.
For more information
about the water fair, call the CT DPH Private Well Program at 860-509-7296 or
the Eastern Highlands Health District at (860) 429-3325.