Should you test your well water?
Wells have an increase likelihood of contamination if:
- Your well is 20 years or older
- Your well is dug or driven rather than drilled
- Your well is shallow
- Your soil is sandy
- A chemical spill is known to have happened nearby
- Your well is near possible sources of contamination, such as:
- Cropland
- Feedlots
- Landfills
- Industrial sites, active or abandoned
Even if you well fits none of these categories, you cannot know the quality of your water without testing. Contaminants may have entered the ground without your knowledge or before you lived at the site.
Available Tests and Pricing
| Test | Cost |
|
Nitrate/Inorganic Suite Includes nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chloride, sulfate, fluoride, soluble phosphorus, silica, and conductivity |
$20.00 |
|
Pesticide Immunoassay Screens Detects major herbicides such as atrazine (Aatrex), cyanazine (Bladex), simazine (Princep), alachlor (Lasso), metolachlor (Dual), and acetochlor (Harness) |
$50.00 |
|
Volatile Organic Compounds Detects 60 compounds (fuels and solvents) |
$45.00 |
|
Metals Includes barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, selenium, aluminum, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, nickel, sodium, calcium, strontium, cobalt, magnesium, potassium, silica, and vanadium |
$60.00 |
| Handling fee per order | $5.00 |
| Prices effective as of April 1, 2007; subject to change. |
What has testing shown so far?
The results indicate that the extent of nitrate contamination varies greatly from county to county and even from well to well within a single county. Many agricultural counties have very little nitrate contamination in private wells, while other counties have considerable contamination. As of April 2003, 52,700 wells have been tested. No trace of nitrate contamination was found in 65.7% of the wells. In 4.2 % of the wells, nitrate concentrations exceeded the drinking water standard of 10 mg/ L (ppm). Atrazine in excess of its drinking water standard of 3.0 ppb has been found in only 0.3 % of the 20,303 wells tested.
To request a kit
Call: Nancy Miller 419-448-2198 or 800-925-9250 Ext. 2198
E-mail: nmiller@heidelberg.edu
Mail: National Center for Water Quality Research, Heidelberg College,
310 E. Market St.
Tiffin, Ohio 44883
Fax: 419-448-2345
(Attention: N. Miller, NCWQR)
Order Form
Mailing Address for requested kits:
Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Zip
Phone:
Email:
| Test Packages | Unit Price | Quantity | Total |
| NITRATE / INORGANIC PACKAGE | $25.00 | ||
|
PESTICIDE IMMUNOASSAY SCREENS (includes Triazine and Lasso/Dual/Acetochlor) |
$50.00 | ||
| VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS (VOCs) | $45.00 | ||
| METALS PACKAGE (includes 20 metals) | $60.00 | ||
| Shipping & Handling Fee (per order) | $ 5.00 | ||
| TOTAL | $ | ||
| Payment Method (check, money order, or credit card): Check or money order made payable to Heidelberg College, include with your order mailed to the above listed address If you wish to make your payment by credit card, please fill out the following and fax or mail: Circle type of card: Master Card Discover VISA American Express Card Number: Exp. Date Signature: |
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