May 4-10 is Drinking Water Week. And Georgians have plenty to
celebrate.
“Each year we run 3,000 to 5,000 water samples through our labs
from both private wells
and municipal systems,” said Tony Tyson, an engineer and water
quality scientist with the
University of Georgia Extension Service.
“Our data suggests that the vast majority of Georgia’s drinking
water is safe,” he said.
“The things we find that exceed drinking water standards are
usually iron, manganese and
calcium. They cause staining and bad-tasting water. But they’re
not health threats.”
Tyson said health-threatening problems appear “in fewer than 5
percent of the water
samples we test.”
Drinking Water Week organizers hope to make Georgians aware of
this valuable resource.
“This is the fifth year we’ve celebrated Drinking Water Week in
Georgia,” said Paul Lad,
an environmental specialist with the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources
Environmental Protection Division.
“This year we dropped ‘national’ from the title,” Lad said. “We
really want it to be an
international effort.”
Providing safe, clean drinking water is a year-round effort in
Georgia. And it’s paying off.
“Several state agencies have water quality programs like EPD’s
Adopt-a-Stream and
Project Wild,” said Lisa Ann Kelley, an extension pollution
prevention specialist.
“One of our main programs is Farm*A*Syst,” Kelley said. “It’s
aimed at helping farmers
assess and control pollutants they may be in danger of adding to
nearby water supplies.”
The Georgia Farm Assessment System (Farm*A*Syst) is an
interagency partnership. It
tells farmers how to prevent pollution. And it gives them the
means to do it.
“This self-assessment tool allows farmers to evaluate a range of
possible contaminants
around their farm,” Kelley said. “And they can voluntarily
revise their farming practices to
prevent pollution.”
Safe, clean drinking water isn’t a concern just on farms, but to
homeowners as well.
“In our testing, we sometimes find high nitrate levels,” Tyson
said. “And occasionally we
find high lead content.”
Most often, he said, the high-nitrate samples come from older,
poorly built wells with a
concentrated source nearby. The problem often stems from a
livestock source or a septic
tank too close to the well.
High lead levels, he said, are usually caused by corrosive water
on older copper pipes.
Before 1985, builders used lead solder on those pipes.
People’s greatest worries about their water are rarely real
dangers.
“Often people are concerned about farm pesticides, industrial
chemicals or petroleum in
water. But we rarely find those,” Tyson said. “The only time we
find those is when there
has been an occurrence near the well.
“Rest assured,” he said. “They rarely show up in ground water in
Georgia, although they
have shown up in other states.”
Have you tested your well water lately? Do you think your
plumbing may be
contaminating your water? If so, Drinking Water Week is a good
reminder to test your
water.
The county
Extension Service
office is a good place to start. You’ll find all you need
there, said Wayne Jordan, head of the
UGA Agricultural
Services Laboratories.
“The county agent will advise you on how to collect the water
for the testing sample,” he
said.
Homeowners who want drinking water tests can get a routine test
for just $10.
“The routine household water test checks for minerals, common
elements like iron and
copper and water hardness. And it tells the acidity or
alkalinity of the water,” Jordan said.
“On special request, we also can test for nitrate or lead for an
additional charge.”
The nitrate and lead tests can be costly. But they can be vital
to your family’s health.
They’re worth the money, Jordan said, if you have reason to
suspect problems.
Many private labs in Georgia offer water testing. You can order
a complete list from EPD.
