The Texas Well Owner Network, TWON, is hosting well water screenings on Aug. 4 for Caldwell and Hays County residents and a follow-up results and education program on Aug. 5.
Water samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen, arsenic and salinity. The screening costs $15 per water sample.
“The TWON program serves residents who depend on household wells for their water needs,” said Joel Pigg, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and TWON coordinator, Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Bryan-College Station.
“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.”
Well owners are encouraged to bring water samples from all wells on their property, as well as before-and-after samples from water treatment systems attached to the wells.
Water sampling and meeting information
Water samples can be dropped off at the following locations on Aug. 4 from 8:30-11 a.m.:
- Caldwell County: AgriLife Extension office for Caldwell County, 1403 Blackjack Street, Suite B, Lockhart; or the Plum Creek Conservation District, 1101 W. San Antonio Street, Lockhart; or the Luling Foundation Farm, 523 Mulberry Ave, Luling.
- Hays County: AgriLife Extension office for Hays County, 200 Stillwater Road, Suite 102, Wimberley.
The follow-up educational program will be from 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Luling Foundation Demonstration Barn, 523 Mulberry Avenue, Luling. Topics covered will include water well basics, water wells 101, septic systems, water quality and sample results.
Sampling instructions
Those submitting samples are asked to follow the water sample instructions available at twon.tamu.edu. A water sample form must be completed for each sample.
Each sample should be labeled with your name. If you bring more than one sample, the label should indicate which well the sample came from.
Private water wells should be tested annually, Pigg said.
For more information on the water screenings, contact Pigg at 979-321-5946 or j-pigg@tamu.edu, or visit twon.tamu.edu.
The screenings are presented by Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, GBRA, AgriLife Extension and Texas Water Resources Institute, TWRI, in partnership with 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.
