WorldWide Drilling Resource

Educate Your Water Well Customers Adapted from Information by the Water Systems Council Are you looking for a way to educate your water well customers about the responsibilities of being a well owner? Look no further, because the Water Systems Council (WSC) has you cov- ered. The national nonprofit organization has published a new Well Owner’s Manual which is free to well owners across the U.S. WSC received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year to pro- vide technical assistance, training, and educational programs to owners of private and small com- munity water wells. A portion of the grant was used to produce the new 32-page manual. The manual includes sections on water well systems, well maintenance, selecting a well contractor, protecting your wellhead, water well testing, and understanding water well test re- sults. It also includes a well owner’s checklist, as well as information on the wellcare ® Hotline, a free hotline which provides advice on protecting, maintaining, testing, and conserving drinking well water supplies. “WSC is committed to ensuring that Americans who depend on water wells have safe, reliable drinking water,” said Margaret Martens, WSC executive director. “The EPAgrant has enabled us to expand our efforts to educate well owners, con- sumers, and policymakers about water wells and the importance of protecting America’s groundwater resources.” WSC can help you provide customers with a wealth of information, including how to take care of a well following a natural disaster or emergency. The organization’s HELP System for Emergency Response information packets educate water well owners on how to recover their wells if disaster strikes. Floods, tornadoes, oil spills, and wild- fires can wreak havoc on a water well, and well owners need to be informed about the potential impact on their wells and what protection measures should be taken. These information packets include the following information: • Video - Disinfecting a Well • Public Service Announcement - What Private Well Owners Need to Know About Your Water Supply in Case of a Natural Disaster . • Information Sheets on emergencies, disasters, and wells; disinfecting a well; drought, and managing a flooded well. The information is free and can be downloaded from the wellcarehotline.org website or acquired through the state’s emergency response and public health agencies. WSC has an interactive map to provide consumers with agency names and contact information. Help educate your customers and do your part in preserving our nation’s groundwater supply! 42 AUGUST 2016 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®