Know, Protect Your Water During Drinking Water Week

CONCORD, NH - The state Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is observing national Drinking Water Week this week by urging everyone to know what is in their drinking water and to protect it from possible contamination, according to a press statement.

The theme of this year’s Drinking Water Week is, “Your Water – To Know It Is To Love It.” Drinking Water Week runs through May 7.

Roughly half of New Hampshire residents are served at home by community water systems, and half by private wells, according to Jim Martin, the public information officer for the NH DES. Community water systems, which must meet extensive testing and water quality requirements, provide their customers with an annual water quality report, either in hard copy or online. Since there are no similar testing requirements for private wells, NHDES urges private well users to have their water tested every three to five years at an accredited laboratory, he noted.

Well users can then use NHDES’s “Be Well Informed” website to understand their test results and learn about water treatment options based on those results. Testing recommendations, a list of accredited labs, and the Be Well Informed tool can be found by searching the internet for “NHDES Private Well Testing.”

Both community water customers and private well users should also know how to protect the sources of their water supplies. If spilled on the ground, pollutants can reach groundwater, and ultimately water supply wells and reservoirs. NHDES urges well users to prevent any spills of gasoline or similar pollutants, and to make sure fertilizers and pesticides are kept away from wells and used according to label directions.

“Preventing contamination of water supplies is everyone’s job,” according to NHDES water supply administrator Sarah Pillsbury. “Individuals and businesses, and local and state governments all have a part to play.”

Knowing what it takes to ensure a safe and reliable water supply is another focus of drinking water week. The job of public water systems continues to be extremely challenging - especially in an era of scarce public funds. The drinking water infrastructure in many cities is aging and presents daunting financial demands.

“In New Hampshire, the estimated funding need is $2.9 billion over the next 10 years for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades, repairs and replacement,” stated Pillsbury. “When you consider how important safe drinking water is to your health and your family’s health, that really puts your water bill in perspective with other monthly expenses such as cable and cell phone service. The same is true of the cost of testing and treating water from a private well.”

For more information, visit NHDES DWGB.