Protect Your Drinking Water

Clean drinking water is taken for granted in the United States.  A human being can live for weeks without food but only days without clean drinking water.    Most homes in the Mid Hudson Valley, out side of villages and city’s, have individual wells to provide drinking water.   While there are regulations and best practices established for the construction of wells, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that the well is working correctly and the water is healthy to drink.  Are you unintentionally polluting your own water?

Wells are continually recharged with ground water.  Most ground water comes from rain and melting snow soaking into the ground and filling the spaces between rocks and soils.

You could be contaminating your family’s drinking water by:

• Improper disposal of household chemicals
  • Never dump chemicals in the ground. Detergents can be flushed into a working septic system.  Return used oil to your local recycling center or service station.  Contact your county for the next Household Hazardous Waste collection for disposal of antifreeze or paint and other chemicals.
• Improperly built or maintained septic systems
  • Have your septic system inspected and routinely maintained
• Corrosion from old plumbing fixtures
  • If your plumbing was installed prior to 1988
• Pesticide use. Look for chemical free herbicides and use pesticides sparingly.
• Leaking or abandoned underground tanks (heating oil) and piping.  Have tank inspected if more than 15 years old and replaced by 20-30 years old.
• Improper handling or disposal of animal or other waste.
  • Never bury animal feces in a dry well and do not stock pile near your well, stream or water bodies.
  • Do not flush expired prescriptions.  Contact your local health department or pharmacist for proper disposal.

 Be proactive:

• Test your water annually for coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and PH levels.  Additional testing may be needed if the water has a chemical taste or smell. 
• Check your Oil tank regularly for signs of leakage or spill, call an environmental professional immediately if your soil has an oil smell.
• Check your well head for signs of cap damage, consider installing a new locking well cap. Take care in working or mowing near your well. 
• Keep records of all repairs, maintenance and inspections.

For additional information:

                    EPA Drinking Water from Household wells; 19 pages, PDF:

            http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/well/upload/2003_06_03_privatewells...  

                Property Owners Guide to Oil Tank Removal, Replacement, and abandonment; 9 pages, PDF: 

                                                             http://c2g.us/

                 $50 off Tank Removal Coupon can be found at:

 http://10coupons.com/hudson-valley/coupon-c2g-environmental-consult...  

Toni L. Hokanson
Executive Accounts Manager

C2G Environmental Consultants, LLC
83 South Putt Corners Rd.
New Paltz, NY 12561
845-255-4900 Fax 845-255-4909