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Properly constructed and
maintained water wells can provide many years
of trouble-free service, but wells can eventually deteriorate
or become damaged
and allow surface contaminants to enter the water. In
addition, some groundwater
can contain one or more chemical substances in concentrations
above
health-based standards. In some cases, contamination of the
water can be
detected by sight, taste or smell; however, many of the most
serious problems
can only be detected through laboratory testing of the water.
Community public
water systems are tested regularly under the supervision of
the Illinois EPA for
a variety of contaminants. However, if you have a private
well, regular testing is
your responsibility.
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Test
your well water at least once a year for bacteria
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Water that has
become contaminated by human or animal waste can transmit
a variety of infectious diseases, including dysentery,
salmonellosis, hepatitis,
and giardiasis. Symptoms vary,
but nausea, vomiting, and
diarrhea, with or
without fever, are most common. To assess bacterial
safety,
drinking water
is tested for a group of "indicator bacteria" called
coliform bacteria. These
bacteria do not usually cause disease themselves, but their
presence indicates
that surface contamination has found its way into the well and
disease organisms
may also be present. When coliform bacteria are found in well
water, the water
should be boiled before being used for drinking or cooking,
and the well should
be disinfected.
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Test
your well water every year for nitrate, and always test
the water for nitrate before giving it to an infant
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Nitrate is a common contaminant in
Illinois groundwater. An elevated level
of nitrate is often caused from septic systems or by run-off
from barnyards,
feedlots, or farm fields. Wells most vulnerable to nitrate
contamination include
shallow wells, dug wells with non-watertight casings, and
wells with damaged,
leaking casing or fittings. Well water containing nitrate at
levels above the
maximum contaminant level established by the U.S.
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), which is 10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen,
should never be
given to infants less than 6 months old because it can cause a
potentially
fatal disease called "blue baby syndrome." In many
cases, constructing a deeper
well can reduce or eliminate a nitrate problem. If you know,
or suspect,
that your well water may contain high levels of nitrate, do
not boil the water,
as this will only concentrate nitrate levels.
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Flush
standing water to reduce levels of lead.
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Well water in Illinois rarely
contains detectable levels of lead. However, lead
can enter drinking water through decay of plumbing materials.
Homes built
before 1986 are more likely to have lead pipes, fixtures and
solder. However,
new homes are also at risk: even legally "lead-free"
plumbing may contain up
to 8 percent lead. The most common problem is with brass or
chrome-plated
brass faucets and fixtures. Exposure to lead at levels above
health standards
can impair a child's development, as well as cause a variety of
other adverse
health effects in both children and adults.
To minimize your exposure to lead in drinking water, run
the water until it
gets cold before using it for drinking or cooking. This
will flush out most of
the lead that may have accumulated in the plumbing. Also, never
use water
from the hot water tap for drinking or cooking. Hot water is
likely to contain
higher levels of lead. The only way to be sure of the amount of
lead in your
household water is to have it tested by a certified laboratory.
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