Private water well screenings set for Williamson County August 21 – 22
Residents in Williamson County are invited to a free water well screening and result meeting
The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, is hosting a water screening event for those residents that may have had their private water well inundated with flood waters During the July rainfall events. The screening will be held on August 21 – 22 in Georgetown.
Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and TWON coordinator, College Station, said the Texas Well Owner Network program is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs.
“The TWON program was established to help well owners become familiar with Texas groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance and construction, and water quality and treatment,” he said. “It allows them to learn more about how to improve and protect their community water resources.”
Water samples will be screened for total coliform bacteria and E. coli bacteria.
Water sampling and meeting information
— Water samples can be dropped off on Thursday, August 21st from 8:30-11:00a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Williamson County, 100 Wilco Way, Suite AG201, Georgetown. There will be no cost for the water well screening.
The follow-up meeting to explain the results of the screenings will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, August 22nd at the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office, 100 Wilco Way, Suite AG201 in Georgetown.
Sampling instructions
A water sample form must be completed for each sample submitted. Follow the directions below for sample collection: (visit out website https://twon.tamu.edu/ for a printable version of the collection instructions and the sample information sheet)
- Pour the contents out of a new bottle of water, 12-20 ounces, and fill it with a water
sample from your private water well.• Take the sample from the spigot/hose bib nearest to the wellhead. Remove the water
hose if one is present and take the water directly from the spigot/hose bib.• If an inside faucet is used, remove the aerator on the faucet before making the
collection. Rinse and dry the exterior of the faucet to prevent contamination of the
water sample.• If possible, wipe off with a Clorox-type towelette or paper towel wetted with a light
bleach solution to kill any bacteria present on the faucet. Allow the cleaning solution
to dry before sampling. - Turn the water full force and let it run for 2 minutes or until you hear the pump start
running. - Reduce the water flow to a small stream, then take the sample.
Refrigerate the sample and transport it to the drop-off location in an ice chest as soon after collection as possible. It is best to collect the day the sample is submitted. Otherwise, make sure the sample is kept cool and out of direct sunlight. The sample should be collected within 24 hours of submission to ensure accurate results.
“We encourage you to bring samples from all wells on your property,” Pigg said. “Also, many participants who have water treatment equipment take samples before and after the treatment to make sure the equipment is functioning properly.”
Each sample should be labeled with your name, and if you bring more than one sample, the label should indicate which well the sample came from.
Pigg said it is essential for those submitting samples to be at the appropriate follow-up meeting to receive results, learn corrective measures for identified problems and improve their understanding of private well management.
To learn more about the programs offered through the network or to find additional publications and resources, visit https://twon.tamu.edu. For more information on the water screening contact Pigg at 830-275-3866 or j-pigg@tamu.edu.
The screenings are presented by AgriLife Extension and Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, in partnership with the AgriLife Extension offices in Williamson County.
Funding for TWON is through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project is managed by TWRI, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
