Monday, April 01, 2019

Summit County offers residents discounted water testing

Summit Daily


Summit County Public Health has launched its “50×50 Spring Sipping Special,” offering private well owners a 50 percent discount on water quality testing this spring.
  For $20, half the regular price of $41, the Environmental Health Department will test up to 50 well-water samples for coliform bacteria and nitrates to help determine if well water is safe to drink.
“As spring temperatures creep up, well owners want to be sure there’s nothing creeping into their drinking water supply,” Environmental Health Manager Dan Hendershott said. 
“Through the 50×50 Spring Sipping Special, we’re offering a very easy, affordable way to know what’s coming out of your faucet.”
During the spring melt, improperly sealed wellheads are at risk for contamination from surface water runoff. Contaminants such as pathogenic bacteria and nitrates can find their way into well water, potentially causing illness for those who consume it. 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires frequent water quality testing by municipal public water suppliers, but testing private well water for safety is the homeowner’s responsibility. EPA recommends that well owners test their water annually. 
Interested well owners can stop by Summit County Environmental Health in the county commons at 37 Peak One Drive in Frisco to pick up a discounted sample bottle, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
Sample bottles will also be available at the 9Health Fair on April 6 at Colorado Mountain College in Breckenridge. The 50×50 Spring Sipping Special is first-come, first-served, with the discount available only to the first 50 water samples Summit County receives.
If you have questions about water quality testing for private wells, contact the Summit County Environmental Health Department at 970-668-4070, or visit SummitCountyCO.gov/DrinkingWater.  Courtesy Summit Daily.