Greenwich Health Department Offers Testing of Private Water Wells

This week is Groundwater Awareness Week and the Greenwich Department of Health is reminding residents with private water wells to test their water for chemicals and contaminants.

The health department is offering residents testing guidelines and the opportunity to have samples tested in the department’s laboratory. Homeowners with private wells are responsible for the quality of their drinking water and is safe from harmful chemicals and other contaminants, such as coliform bacteria.

The department said that the well water data collected by the department’s laboratory shows that nearly one in four wells were found to be contaminated with coliform bacteria. The department also said that many well water supplies have a low pH (acidic water) while some have high levels of iron and manganese. A few private wells were also found to have arsenic and uranium. Although testing is not required for homeowners with existing wells, the department advises testing be done on a scheduled basis.

Recently, the Connecticut Department of Public Health published a fact sheet on Private Well Testing a during the week of March 8 - 14, the health department will mail copies of it and other pertinent materials, such as the Department of Health Laboratory’s list of testing services, to many private well water homeowners in town.

The Greenwich Health Laboratory is located on the ground floor of the Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Rd., and is open to the public 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Laboratory may be contacted at 203-622-7843 for water testing information and sampling procedures. The State of Connecticut fact sheet publication on Private Well Testing can be found on the Town website at www.greenwichct.org, under the Department of Health. Copies are also available in the Laboratory.

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Photo credit: Håkan Dahlström via Flickr.com.