Water is a basic ingredient of life and a safe water supply is essential for our good health. Adequate supplies of clean drinking water, whether it comes from a well or from a municipal treatment plant should be everyone\u27s concern. The recent drought conditions have forced many people to realize how critical adequate and safe water supplies really are to the well-being of their families and communities

Piercy, Larry R.

Taraba, Joseph L.

English

University of Kentucky

University of KentuckyUKnowledgeAgricultural Engineering Extension Updates Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering1988How Safe is Your Drinking Water?Larry R. PiercyUniversity of KentuckyJoseph L. TarabaUniversity of KentuckyRight click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits you.Follow this and additional works at: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/aeu_reportsPart of the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering CommonsThis Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at UKnowledge. It has been accepted forinclusion in Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contactUKnowledge@lsv.uky.edu.Repository CitationPiercy, Larry R. and Taraba, Joseph L., "How Safe is Your Drinking Water?" (1988). Agricultural Engineering Extension Updates. 40.https://uknowledge.uky.edu/aeu_reports/40� Agricultural Engineering U UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE cnf1 Structures & Environment � Soil & Waler �,f II A n� � ,; /11\ Energy Safety Larry R. Pi�rcy Extension Specialist ,Joseph I,. Taraba pdate Crop Processing Associate Extension Professor and Extension SpecialisL Power & Machinery AEU-42 Water is a basic jngredient o( life and a safe water supply is essentiaJ. for our good heal th. Adi?<:JUate supplies of clean drinking water, whether H. canes fran a wel  or fran a nrunicipal treatrrent. plant should be everyone's concern. The recent drought conditions have forced many people to realize how critical adequate and safe water supplies really are to the .,,.,ell-being of their families and carmunities. Recent a1row1ts of contaminated surface and ground water supplies around Kentucky have caused increasing concern for the safety of drinking water throughout the state. If Kentuckians are to be assured of a continuing supply of clean and safe drinking water, then everyone must becc:me aware of his/her O,,lJ1 responsibility for cleaning up and protecting both the surface and ground water supplies. T /:if! CoHege, ot A g1,cutru:e ,; a.1 E 11vat Onpo, ,,in,1·, 01 ?4t'lt/il '•l.)J'• v,nfh tf• !:pt!rl ;'O em,c �H,�ft ,,.,,a '?'np:o ,,rr,t'-i: .,rio, •. A ,,rr•,v•?f'D re., r·· ;)-.·,tjt· ,�.'if'. 1•t ·, em.:c:1:10:.,af t>fl)rm�'1c.ln and Olnf>t s.e: v,ces or,1v 10 ,nannctudlS <tJfld1nsNul•Uf•S r1:a1 ft:nct,onv1,;no,:1 1eg8!dto,•.;�.:e cr,lo: n.tf1orM!o1,gm �t>.1. :fJ••q,o:, ilgt· ;;,.,d11.;,r,c1,<..:,o •,:ua,11t:\ •e;:oi'Jmg 1.omp··.t!' fi' w,:,, 1 ;f.le *,,','lf'IO r,r,·e VII or fHe C,v1tFl1ghlsActol I 9-6.1 T1rle iX or ,,.,e fd11carH)(?ilf /lr'r't'ra:r>t>nts Sec;mn .')O' r,: .'l•e Aehi1btM,Hr<Jfl Ar l .l•lf.1 o;11r, teJ:.ltto "'"".,,,-,� 1,N,a'rr bf) d,1e1., '('rf w I-t;1,dl Ocµo·1,1rn'y o:•,t:e Cor,eqe or Aq,1cutr1.11e ()rnve:s,tv ot Kct>'•lcK.'<v Rc.><11•• s 105. Agno.Ji11J1at 5c•e'"l(e 8wtc,og Norm l e,1nyw,, Kei,ruc:J. v .t05,!6 UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY K[NTUCK y ST A IE UNIVff<SI fY us DE"ART�lrNT o� .A.(;HICUL TUR[ AND K[NTL c,;y COUNTIES. COOPER.ti TING Hydrologic Cycle The water in use tcx:iay is the same water that has been in use since the beginning of time; it has just been recirculated through nature's "hydrologic cycle" ( hydro logic cycle is the circulation of water fran the land and l:x:x:lies of water to the atrrosphere and back again). Water fran lakes, rivers 'ahd ponds is heated by the sun, and vaporized into the air to fonn clouds. 'I'hese clouds eventually burst, giving up water in the form of rain, sna,..,, hail or sleet. When the water reaches the earth, sare of it runs off the land as surface water and returns to rivers, lakes and the oceans to repeat the cycJe. '!'he water that soaks into r.hP. soil noves slCMly through the layers of soi J and rock to eventually return to the rivers, lakes, and oceans where it also evaporates and continues the cycle. Groundwater: The water that soaks into the soil becomes part of the groundwal.er. This water noves slowly through layers of soil, sand, and rock where it may become a part of large underground reservoirs of water called agui. (ers. These water supplies can be reached by drilling v-.1ells or it may be reJ.eased at L.he surface through a natural spring. Al though all water is recycled through the hydrologic cyr: le the movement of groundwater is very s.lOvJ and may take many years to canplete. Thus, any pollution ot the groundwater supply may contaminate our drinking water supply for many years to care. Groundwat.er Cont.ami na tions One of Kentucky's rrost imp::>rtant natural resources, groundwater, nonnall y  offers a clear, naturall y  filtered source of water at a constant temperature. However, water's natural ability to dissolve and can-y materials all ows  it to be easily contaminated by human activities. Feed lots, sept.ic tanks, uncapped and abandoned wells, improper use and disposal of toxic chemicals, landf i.lls, leaking fuel tanks, etc., can all cause serious contamination of groundwater supplies. This problen is especially critical in lirnestone areas where sink holes are used as dump sites. These often lead directly to groundwater sources and can contaminate large underground aquifers and affect users nli.les away. Well Contamination: Contamination of private wells and water sources is a serious problem in Kentucky. One indicator of v-.1ell contamination is the bacterial levels in the wat.er. One study found that 90% of the shallCM hand dug wells and 33% of the drilled 1r.1ells, which lr.'ere not properly cased, had unsafe .levels of bacteria in the water. Another study in eastern Kentucky indicated that 50% of the v-.1ells, 43% of the springs and 27% of the cisterns tested had unsafe levels of bacterial contamination. ·rhis contamination nost camonly resulted fra11 surface run-off or seepage of barnyard wastes, septic tanks and cesspools into the lr.'ells, cisterns or springs. 'I'o protect the health of users of lr.'ell water and the groundwater itself, £:ran this type of contamination, Kentucky law no,.., requjres that all lr.'ell drillers be certified by the state and that new wells must be constructed to minimum standards. For example, the v-.1ell must be constructed a minimum distance from sources of bacterial containinat.i_on. F'urther:nore, the well must be sealed off wj th a casing that prevents contarnj nation fran enterj ng the well through the soil or fran undesirable aquifers. 'I'his casing must aJ so extend a minimum of four inches al:x)Ve the ground surface. (Cutting off the casing belCM the ground surface is the leading cause of well contamination.) Al though there are no guarantees for safe drinking water, proper loc:aUon, casing, capping, and seaU ng off a �11 are bj g steps toward preventing foture problen,s. Testing and Treating Water Su�lies: Just because water is clear does not mean that i.t is s,.lfe. The only way of being certaj n of the quality of your private drinking wat.0r sources is to have Lhe water tested. ( Pub! jc water systems are required Lo meet mj ninnJJn state standards.) A mnrtber of private and public laboratories are available in the state who will test for water quality. Your local Cooperat.i ve Extension Off ice or Health Departnent will have a listing of tltese laoorator i..P.s. I\ variety of tests are ava L l.ab.l e, but a basic test should include those for excessive bacteria and for nitrate levels that pose danger to inf ants and unoorn babi.es. These tests should be nm at least once per year to nnnj to1· the water quality. Other tests should also be nm on a less frequent basis. These can monitor other changes i.n groundwater quality and provide a baseJ ine shou.ld future contamination occur. The r·ecomrended tests wLlJ depend up:m the area of the state and poLential concerns for locaJ contamination. Most groundwater requires littl e or no treaLJnent tor safe t1se. llo,.,..iever, new equipnenl and nethcx:ls are now available for treatn)?nt of private water supplies. Your lcxa.L dri1Jer, health depart.Jrent or v.€.ll s11ppJier can provide additional infonnation j f your water test. results indi..catP. a11y problems. Conclusion: Poor drinking water quali ty LS a particular problelll i.11 niraL areas where over 95% of the population dep2nds upon groundwater for drinking water, nnst of which comes from private v.€1Js. Groundwater quality n1t1st become everyone's concern, since it is much easier to prevent the contam.inal.io11 than clean up the resulting problem, which can cost rni..Llions of dollars and take years to ca11pJete. You can help prolect groundwater quality by: J • l-3eccirn i..ng fami.J .i at· with the sources and means by wit i.ch ground.vater becanes contaminaled. 2. ,Joining the "Kentucky Extens i.on llonanakers l\ssociation" and olhergroups across the state j n educating others arout the problem.SLart by sharing your nf'W found knowledge witlt you1· [arnily andfriends.3. !laving your private drinbng water supply Lested.4. Using caution and always fol.lowing lab:-�l jnsLn1cti.ons for use anddisposal of any materials thr.1t could c:ontaminaLe water suppliesincluding the disposal of many comron household prcxlt1cts.3500-10/88 

How Safe is Your Drinking Water?

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How Safe is Your Drinking Water?

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