The Texas Well Owner Network (TWON) will present water well screenings in October in Andrews, Gaines, Howard and Martin counties to give Permian Basin residents the opportunity to have their well water tested. TWON is also hosting free screenings in Chambers and Jefferson counties for area residents whose water wells flooded from recent rains.
The Well Informed screenings are presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service offices in the counties listed in collaboration with the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI).
“Private water wells should be tested annually,” said John Smith, AgriLife Extension program specialist, College Station.
Smith said residents wanting to have their well water screened should pick up a sample bag, bottle and instructions from the AgriLife Extension office in their county. “It is very important that only sampling bags and bottles from the AgriLife Extension office be used and all instructions for proper sampling are followed to ensure accurate results,” he said.
The cost for the Permian Basin screenings is $10 per sample plus an additional $10 for arsenic screening. For all screenings, samples must be turned in by 10 a.m. on the day of the screening.
Dates, times and locations for the Chambers and Jefferson counties screenings are:
- Oct. 16 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office for Chambers County, 295 White Memorial Park Road in Anahuac.
- Oct. 16 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Jefferson County, 1225 Pearl St., Suite 200 in Beaumont.
- Oct. 16 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Chambers County Commissioner Precinct 1 office, 211 Broadway in Winnie.
- Oct. 16 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the Jefferson County J.P. Precinct 4 office, 19217 Farm-to-Market 365 in Beaumont.
A follow-up meeting explaining results for the Chambers and Jefferson counties screenings will be at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at the J.P. Precinct 1 Courtroom, 211 Broadway Ave. in Winnie.
Dates, times and locations for the Permian Basin screenings are:
- Oct. 21 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Andrews County, 851 E. Broadway St., Andrews.
- Oct. 21 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Gaines County, 101 S. Main St., Courthouse, Room 108, Seminole.
A meeting explaining screening results for the Oct. 21 Andrews and Gaines counties events will be at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Andrews Community Building, 200 NW Mustang Drive in Andrews.
- Oct. 22 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Howard County, 2411 Echols Drive, Big Spring. A meeting explaining screening results will be at 5 p.m. Oct. 23 at the same location in Big Spring.
- Oct. 22 from 8:30-10 a.m. at the AgriLife Extension office for Martin County, 210 Convent, Stanton. A meeting explaining screening results will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at the same location in Stanton.
Smith said samples will be screened for contaminants, including total coliform bacteria, E. coli, nitrate-nitrogen, arsenic and salinity.
Smith said it is extremely important for those submitting samples to be at the follow-up meetings to receive results, learn corrective measures for identified problems and improve their understanding of private well management.
For more information for the Chambers County screening, call 409-374-2123; for the Jefferson County screening, call 409-835-8461; for Andrews County screening, call 432-524-1421; for the Gaines County screening, call 432-758-4006; for the Howard County screening, call 432-264-2236; and for the Martin County screening, call 432-756-3316.
To learn more about programs offered through the Texas Well Owner Network or to find additional publications and resources, visit the website.
Funding for the Texas Well Owner Network 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, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.
