The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, is hosting events Aug. 26-27 to allow residents in Dickens, King and Kent counties to have their well water screened. The water well screening educational program will be held in Snyder.
Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and TWON coordinator, College Station, said the Texas Well Owner Network program is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs.
“The TWON program was established to help well owners become familiar with Texas groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance and construction, and water quality and treatment,” he said. “It allows them to learn more about how to improve and protect their community water resources.”
Water samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen, arsenic and salinity. Well owners are encouraged to bring water samples from all wells on their property and before and after any water treatment systems that may be attached to the wells.
Water sampling and meeting information
There will be a $15 per sample cost for the water well screening, and attendees can bring as many samples as they like.
— Dickens County: Aug. 26, water samples can be dropped off from 8:30-11 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Dickens County, Courthouse Annex, Dickens.
— Kent County: Aug. 26, water samples can be dropped off from 8:30-11 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Kent County, 101 South Main Street, Jayton.
— King County: Wednesday, Aug. 26, water samples can be dropped off from 8:30-11:00 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for King County, 800 South Baker Street, Guthrie.
The follow-up meeting to explain the results of the screenings will be from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 27 at the Courthouse Annex in Dickens. Topics covered will include water well basics, water wells 101, water quality and sample results.
What are the Texas Well Owner Network water sample instructions?
A water sample form must be completed for each sample submitted. Attendees should follow the directions at twon.tamu.edu.
For this program, attendees will also have the opportunity to bring a water sample to be taken to the Soil, Water and Forage Testing Laboratory on the Texas A&M University Campus for a comprehensive water test. If interested, follow the instructions at soiltesting.tamu.edu/water-testing.
To learn more about the programs offered through the network or to find additional publications and resources, visit twon.tamu.edu. For more information on the water screening contact Pigg at 979-321-5946 or j-pigg@tamu.edu.
The screenings are presented by AgriLife Extension and Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, in partnership with the AgriLife Extension.
Funding for TWON is through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project is managed by TWRI, a unit of Texas A&M AgriLife Research that combines expertise across The Texas A&M University System.
