Farmers, It’s Time for Your Water Well Checkup

It's National Groundwater Awareness Week, a good time to schedule a checkup of your water well.

This weekend, did you turn back your clocks? Did you change the batteries in your smoke detector, too? For many, the answer is yes. We often use events, like Daylight Saving Time, to remind us to take precautions, like checking our smoke detector.

It's National Groundwater Awareness Week, and Illinois Farm Bureau asks homeowners and businesses to use this event as a reminder - get a water well checkup. An annual examination is even more imperative for IFB's rural members, who rely on wells for their family and farm needs.

Here are a few checkup and maintaining recommendations from the National Ground Water Association:

• Get a checkup from a water well contractor, who can test your water for coliform bacteria and nitrates, and anything else of local concern.
• Keep hazardous chemicals, such as paint, fertilizer, pesticides and motor oil far away from wells, and maintain a "clean" zone of at least 50 feet between your well and any kennels and livestock operations.
• Maintain proper separation between your well and buildings, waste systems and chemical storage areas.
• Periodically check the well cover or well cap on top of the casing (well) to ensure it is in good repair and securely attached. Its seal should keep out insects and rodents.
• Keep your well records in a safe place. These include the construction report, and annual water well system maintenance and water testing results.

IFB also adds that preventative maintenance is usually less costly than emergency maintenance. Good well maintenance - like good car maintenance - can prolong the life of your well and related equipment. Test your water whenever there is a change in taste, odor, or appearance.

IFB & Water
Illinois Farm Bureau takes active steps to promote water quality and proper use. From programs, such as KIC 2025, to farmer-created policies, such as #38. Water Quality, IFB is dedicated to protecting our water and serving the families that use it.