Partner Newsletter - August 2017

Newsletter #20 for August 2017

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2017 Private Well Conference Recordings Are Now Available

The 2017 Private Well Conference, held May 23-25, 2017 in Champaign, IL, was a national workshop that united the private well community and emphasized the importance of collaboration and partnerships.

The conference was the first of its kind with national scope and exclusive focus on private wells. The 117 attendees from 32 states included educators, public health professionals, drillers, researchers, and other stakeholders who shared new ideas in outreach and experiences with private wells and private well owners. The program included a drillers panel, 26 speakers, and 14 lightning talks (5 min each).

The recorded presentations are publicly available on the Private Well Class Conference page and through our YouTube Channel.

Visit the Conference website here.

From the Blog: Communities Unlimited and Tennessee Department of Health, A Proven Partnership

Developing meaningful and lasting partnerships are the key to any successful program. This is why we took a deeper look at a partnership that exists between Communities Unlimited and the Tennessee Department of Health. The Private Well Class was able to talk with Annie Chiodo and Judy Manners to understand...

Read the full blog post here.

Upcoming Webinars

Is My Water Safe to Drink? - Common Questions about Private Wells
Thursday, August 17, 2017 at 1PM CT
Hosted by PrivateWellClass.org

In this free 90-minute webinar training hosted by The Private Well Class you'll learn that your drinking water well doesn't have to be a mystery. In this free 90-minute webinar training hosted by The Private Well Class you'll learn the answers to common questions, such as: how you get your well water tested, what you need to do to take care of your well, and if your well is susceptible to contamination.

The event will be recorded and this training is completely free, delivered as a webinar, which you can watch and listen to via your computer. You may submit questions in advance or live on the webinar. Most questions received in advance will be reviewed and added to the presentation.

We'd love your support in distributing this information, please feel free to share the following link: http://privatewellclass.org/safe

Want to see what else we've got planned?

See the Webinar Schedule

PWC Highlight: 2017 Training Workshops

Partner Events

‘Well Educated’ Day Session
August 23, 2017; 1:00PM
Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District
Hosted by the Texas Water Resources Institute,Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Anyone interested in private water well management is invited to a Texas Well Owner Network training August 23 in Conroe, TX.

The free training is offered to area private water well owners through collaboration with the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District. The Texas Well Owner Network is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs, so they can learn about improving and protecting their community water resources.

Learn more here.

Protect Your Groundwater Day
September 5, 2017
Hosted by the National Groundwater Association

The theme for 2017 Protect Your Groundwater Day is "Cap It, Plug It!"

If you are a private water well owner, there are many ways to protect your water quality. Two of the most important are: to make sure your well is properly capped, and to properly plug any abandoned wells on your property.

Learn more here.

SepticSmart Week
September 18-22, 2017
Hosted by USEPA

SepticSmart Week is an annual event focused on educating homeowners and communities on the proper care and maintenance of their septic systems. Partners and stakeholders are invited to share SepticSmart materials, hold events, and raise awareness during the week.

Learn more here.

Highlighted Resource

Well and Water System Disinfection for Private Wells
Minnesota Department of Health

We get a lot of questions about disinfecting private wells and hear many stories about well owners who have been told to disinfect annually, or just throw a cup of bleach down the well once a month. Both of these things are bad advice, you should only disinfect your well when you have had a positive hit for bacteria, and “a cup of bleach” can actually be harmful to your well, the rubber seals if you have a pitless, and release metals if put in your well at the wrong concentration. We have reviewed dozens of documents with well disinfection instructions, and the one we found to be the “best”, in our opinion, is from the Minnesota Department of Health.

We have a link to it on our resources page under lesson 10, or you can download it here.

Looking for something else? We link to a variety of helpful resources.

Browse our Class Resources

Featured Video: Behind the Scenes: DIY Groundwater Monitoring

This video features Jeff Sharp with Napa County Public Works as he talks about a new DIY Groundwater Monitoring Program available for county residents. This episode discusses one of the tools available for county residents interested in measuring their own well levels in Napa County, California.

Click here to watch the video.

Have a great video? We're dedicated to bringing you helpful, entertaining, or inspiring videos to you. If your organization has a relevant video to share, let us know!

We Want to Promote Your Program

Does your organization, agency, or unit have any exciting news or other information (webinar, document, etc.) that you want to share? Here is your opportunity to be included!

Please send detailed information to info@privatewellclass.org by August 20, 2017 to be included in the September 1, 2017 newsletter.

About PrivateWellClass.org

Privatewellclass.org is a free service for well owners, and those that work with them, to raise awareness of private well issues and help well owners understand their responsibilities in being a good steward of their well and water source. The Private Well Class is a collaboration between the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and the University of Illinois, through the Illinois State Water Survey and the Illinois Water Resources Center, and funded by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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