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1. Where may I obtain a private water supply test kit, and how much do they cost?

The test kits for private drinking water supplies are available at our office, during regular business hours. There is no charge for the kit itself, however the state laboratory will bill you $10 for the completed analysis.

2. What will the lab be testing my water to discover?

Used for determining the bacteriological quality of drinking water is a standard coliform test. Coliform organisms are bacteria that live in the intestinal tracts of humans and all other warm-blooded animals. Because these bacteria are present in both human sewage and surface water drainage, they are useful as indicators of water system contamination.

3. How do I take the test?

An information sheet outlining the proper use of the kit will be included with the package. Please read these instructions completely before beginning your test.

You will want to locate a single, cold-water, interior faucet — preferably, the sample tap off your pressure tank — to draw your sample. If you have a water softener, you will want to use a faucet before the unit, or take it off-line while drawing your sample. Exterior frost-proof faucets are not suitable for sample taking, as they cannot be adequately disinfected. Do not use mixer-type faucets, such as those found in your kitchen or bath, as they too cannot be disinfected before sampling. Even in new homes with PVC water lines, the laundry connections will typically be brass and are often the best sampling choice.

After locating an appropriate sample faucet, follow these steps to collect your sample.

1. Disconnect any hose or other device that my be attached to the faucet.
2. Place a bucket underneath the faucet to prevent water from spilling onto the floor.
3. Run the water momentarily to flush out any debris which may have accumulated in the spout.
4. Using a propane torch or a long butane lighter (such as those used for lighting grills and fireplaces) flame the opening of the faucet for 10-15 seconds. (Caution: Do not apply heat to a plastic faucet.) This will kill any bacteria that might be in the spout. (Be Careful to flame only the opening area and do not exceed 10 to 15 seconds! Doing otherwise might cause a fire.)
5. Briefly allow the water to run into the bucket, cooling the spout and assuring fresh water will be drawn.
6. Twist open the lid of the sample bottle, without touching the inner surfaces. You may notice small droplets of liquid in the bottle. This is normal and should not be washed out. It is a chemical necessary to providing an accurate sample.
7. Fill the sample bottle up to the fill line, then replace the cap.
8. Once you have drawn your sample, fill out the paperwork included with the test kit; include your name, address, the time and date you draw the test, and the sample number written on the side of the bottle. Enclose this sheet with your sample and seal the box using the mailing label provided.
9. You may either mail the sample yourself using the United Postal Service's Priority Mail, or you may return the sample to our office where it will be picked up by a courier. In either instance, the lab must receive the sample within 48 hours, or it will be refused. To prevent this, we recommend that you draw your sample on a weekday, no later than Wednesday. If you choose to utilize our courier service, the samples must be brought to the Division of Environmental Health and Protection no later than 1 p.m.

The sample reports will be mailed to you, usually within 10 days. If you do not receive your results within 2 weeks, contact the Missouri state lab at 573-751-3334.

4. My water sample report came back "Unsatisfactory". What does that mean?

An "unsatisfactory" test result means that your sample contained coliform bacteria. You should not drink water that has been reported by the laboratory as "unsatisfactory".

5. Is this serious?

Many homeowners are shocked to find that their water test comes back as unsatisfactory. They will often remark that they have been drinking the water for years without adverse affects. Before assuming the worst, take a few moments to consider the situation.

First, remember that the coliform bacteria which the lab test detects are usually harmless bacteria that are found practically everywhere in our environment. They are present in dust, carried by insects, and can be introduced to your water supply through routine well and well pump maintenance. In the majority of circumstances, contamination is an isolated occurrence due to one of several easily remedied situations. Serious contamination occurs relatively infrequently.

Ask yourself some questions concerning the history of your water system:

• Is this a newly drilled well? Occasionally a new well will require several consecutive disinfections before all the residual bacteria are removed.
• Have you had any repairs made on your well, pump or cistern? Normal dirt and debris carried on the equipment and hands of well drillers or repairmen will contain coliform bacteria.
• Did you experience a water line break in the winter due to freezing, for any other reason in the recent past? Bacteria can enter the system any time there is a break.
• Is the well cap seal in good repair, or has the well cap or cistern cover been removed for any reason? Dirt and insects that carry bacteria can easily enter a well or cistern through damaged seals, or when the covers are removed. The well vent should be covered with a small mesh screen to prevent the entrance of insects. If there are problems with any of these, contact your well driller for repair or replacement.
• Is this a driven or sand-point well? Shallow wells typically draw their water from surface water supplies and are often contaminated. Wells may also become contaminated during periods of heavy rain or flooding. These wells cannot be disinfected using the methods outlined below. You must pump the well out for an extended period of time, generally for 12 hours or more. Wait several days and then re-sample.

6. What will we need to do to take care of this situation?

A contaminated well can be disinfected using chlorine, either in the form of regular household bleach (do not use a formulation which includes any type of fragrance), or the use of 70% sodium hypochlorite swimming pool chlorine tablets (do not use any tablets which contain stabilizers).

Caution: Chlorine is a highly corrosive chemical, especially in concentrated form. Read labels and always use proper safety precautions:

• Wear safety goggles, rubber gloves, and an apron to protect your clothes from splash.
• Always work in a well-ventilated area.
• Never mix chlorine with other chemicals or detergents. Chlorine can mix with these products to form a highly dangerous gas.

While there are formulas for determining the precise amount of chlorine to use for disinfection, many homeowners do not know the depth of their well, making calculations difficult. One gallon of household chlorine bleach or 1 pound of chlorine tablets will adequately disinfect the average well in our area. If you have an extremely deep well, over 600 feet, you may use an extra half gallon of bleach, or ½ pound of tablets. Chlorine tablets are preferable for wells over 400 feet, where they will sink to the lower depths more readily.

After removing your well cap or cistern cover; use the following procedure to disinfect your well:

• In a plastic 5 gallon bucket, mix the liquid bleach with water and pour the solution into the well. If using tablets, pour them down the sides of the well. Replace the well cap or cistern cover.
• Inside your home, run all the water faucets, showers, bathtubs, laundry connections and flush all toilets until you begin to smell chlorine. For deeper wells, you may wish to place a garden hose that has been connected to 1 of your outside faucets into the well and recirculate the water for 2 hours. This will help to mix the chlorinated water deeper into the well.
• When you begin to smell chlorine, shut off all the water and allow the chlorinated water to stand in the pipes for at least 12 hours or overnight.
• After twelve hours have passed, or the next morning, you will need to flush the water system until the chlorine smell and taste is gone. If you are on a septic system, do not allow the water to run into your drains or it will kill the bacteria in your septic tank, which help to break down waste. Instead, run the chlorinated water through a garden hose into a ditch or storm drain. Avoid running it onto grass or ornamental shrubs or flowers.

7. How soon after disinfection should I take a follow-up sample?

Allow several days to pass before taking your next sample. Sampling too close to disinfection may produce inaccurate results.

8. My sample came back "unsatisfactory" again. Now what do I do?

Don't give up after one, or even two bad samples. Sometimes several disinfections are required to overcome a particularly heavy contamination. However, if you continue to get unsatisfactory results it will be necessary to examine your system for serious problems.

9. What types of problems can cause on-going contamination?

Broken or cracked water lines can allow contamination to enter the system. A plumber can help analyze your water system and check for leaks or breaks. The well casing may be cracked or broken, allowing surface waters to enter your well. These surface waters may contain coliform bacteria that are causing contamination. A qualified plumber or well driller can repair or replace your well casing. Septic effluent from your field or that of a neighbor may be running too close to your well. Current county ordinances prohibit septic fields from being placed within 100 feet of a well. However in some cases wells and/or septic systems were installed before current regulations were in place, or were not installed with the proper permits. Other possible sources of contamination may include run off from a barn, pasture or stable or an underground fracture or shift of the surrounding rock.

10. My water system and septic system have been examined and we could not find the source of contamination. What can I do to assure a safe water supply?

If a public water supply is readily available, you may be able to connect to it. There will be a tap on fee and a plumber will have to install new water lines to your home. After connection you will pay a monthly water bill. Contact the water district office that services your area.

You may install a home water purification system such as an UV light treatment system or an automatic chlorinator. A web search using such key words as: water, treatment, system, private, well, UV light, and chlorination will result in many options, which you will want to evaluate according to initial cost, maintenance and repair, and resale value. The public library may have books and articles related to this topic. Once you've finished your research, find a water treatment company or plumber who can install the system you've chosen.

11. My water smells awful, almost like rotten eggs! Why is that?

Your water and rotten eggs have something in common: sulfur. This commonly occurring mineral is contained within egg yolks, and it occurs naturally in large underground deposits scattered throughout our area. As water passes through these sulfur deposits, it dissolves the mineral. The dissolved sulfur travels in the water until it enters your home. When the water comes out of the pipe, the dissolved sulfur instantly mixes with the oxygen in the air to form a foul-smelling gas (even in small and harmless quantities), hydrogen sulfide.

This problem can be constant, or it can come and go with the seasons-or even appear or disappear for years at a time. Because the sulfur is dissolved in the water, its presence may vary with fluctuations in the water table or shifts in the ground rock surrounding your well. Anything that changes what layers of rock your water travels through can alter the amount of sulfur in it. Drought causes the water table to drop, while heavy rains cause it to rise. Undetected earth tremors cause cracks in the rock, exposing new sulfur deposits or closing up old ones.

If your problem occurs seasonally, it's probably tied to the fluctuation of the water table. While the smell is annoying, it's harmless and you may choose to live with the problem.

Eliminating the Problem
If you find that you are constantly plagued with the sulfur odor, you may want to take steps to eliminate it. This can be accomplished by doing 1 of several things:

• You can abandon your well and connect to a public water supply if it is available.
• You can install a water treatment system designed to remove hydrogen sulfide gas.
• You may choose to install an automatic chlorinator.

Each of these alternatives has its positive and negative points that will require doing a little homework. You will want to research your options and make a decision based upon initial cost; maintenance and repair; and resale value. Do web searches using the key words: hydrogen sulfide, water, and treatment. Visit the library and look for books or articles on water treatment and well water supplies. Talk to your neighbors about what they have done in response to the problem. Once you've gotten a good idea of what you want, contact several water treatment companies and plumbers to locate 1 who can install the system to fit your needs.

12. My water has a metallic taste and/or I see rust stains in my plumbing fixtures and on my clothes. Why?

Just as sulfur can dissolve into your water and cause the problems we've described in the preceding section; iron deposits in rock dissolve in water and cause difficulties for the homeowner as well. A water treatment company or environmental laboratory can test your water for iron and you will want to research your options as mentioned above.

There are also other possible causes for rust stains in your fixtures and laundry. Older pipes or fixtures in your home, or an aging galvanized pressure tank may be deteriorating. If you see rust only on your laundry, there may be a problem with your washing machine. Replacement of any of these may fix your problem.

Living with high iron content in your water is possible. There are many products on the market that are designed to remove rust stains from your fixtures and laundry. Filters, which remove iron from drinking water, are available in most retail, hardware and home improvement stores.

You can reduce the incidence of rust stains and yellowing of whites by using warm, not hot water, avoiding chlorine bleach-it only makes the problem worse, by not allowing your wash to soak for long periods and by using laundry additives specifically designed to remove rust and yellowing.

13. When my water sits in a glass, sediment forms in the bottom. Why?

Heavy rain, shifts in the rock, changes in the water table, well deterioration or other problems can cause sediment to appear in your water. Contact a qualified plumber or well driller to check out your system. They may be able to tell you what is causing the problem and make a repair. Otherwise you'll need to contact a water treatment company and search out the best remedy for your particular situation.

14. My physician told me to have my water tested for fluoride and/or nitrates. Can you help me?

The state laboratory will test your private drinking water supply for nitrates or fluoride. Sample kits may be obtained at our office, filled at home and mailed directly to the lab, or returned to our office for courier pick up. You will be billed directly by the state and you should receive your results within two weeks. If you do not receive your results within two weeks, contact the lab at 573-751-3334.