The Private Well Class is celebrating National Groundwater Awareness Week (#GWAW2018) by hosting the 3rd annual Pledge to Test (#pledge2test) Campaign. In this nationwide pledge, well owners are invited to pledge to submit a water sample for testing to a lab in their area. One Pledge to Test Campaign participant will be randomly selected to be reimbursed for the cost of testing the private well water at their residence, up to $200.
In a study conducted by University of Minnesota Extension, a survey was mailed to approximately 2700 well owners in the states of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Of the 1700 people that responded, 1100 well owners had never sampled their well. The #1 response that these well owners gave for not sampling their well was “We’ve been drinking it for years.”
By testing their well water quality, well owners can ensure that their water is actually safe to drink. We recommend that well owners test their well water annually for nitrate and coliform and every 3-5 years for other contaminants, based on location and geology.
2016's Pledge to Test winner, Liz H. from Illinois said, "It's awesome knowing I can drink from my kitchen faucet and not have to worry about contaminated water. Best thing I have ever done. I will test my water every year as recommended between spring and end of summer." You can read more about her experience on our blog.
“We hope this campaign continues to shine a light on the importance of private well testing,” said program director Steve Wilson. “My staff from the Private Well Class, in partnership with the Illinois State Water Survey’s Public Service Laboratory, are also happy to answer questions about test results.”
The deadline to pledge is March 31, 2018. Testing must be completed by July 31, 2018. Learn more at http://privatewellclass.org/pledge. The Private Well Class is a program led by the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois in collaboration with the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), with funding provided by USEPA.