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YOU MAY NOT HAVE VISITED THESE PLACES...
BUT YOUR DRINKING WATER MAY HAVE!
Answer the following questions to help you identify activities on your property that may be putting ground water or surface water at risk. In addition, please see the specific fact sheets and surveys listed at the end of the questionnaire or the links for additional information at the end of each section.
I. How Safe is Your Well?
If your drinking water comes from a public water supply, go to Section II.
- Do you have a well less than 50 feet deep?
- Do you have a dug well or driven well (rather than a drilled well), or is your well
more than 50 years old? - Does your well casing extend less than 12 inches above ground level or can you
see any cracks or holes in your well casing? - Are there any potential sources of contamination uphill from your well (i.e.,
confined or grazing animals, fertilizer or pesticide storage areas)? - Are there any abandoned wells on your property that have not been properly
sealed?
Click here for more information about Well Water Protection.
II. Risks from Pesticides and Fertilizers
If you do not store or handle pesticides and/or fertilizer, go to Section III.
- Do you mix, apply, or store pesticides or fertilizers within 100 feet of any water supply system, stream or lake?
- Do you do any of the following?
- Fill your sprayer tank with a hose that does not have an anti-backflow device.
- Put the hose in the tank so that it is below the waterline during filling.
- Leave the sprayer tank unattended while filling.
- Rinse your sprayer tank near your water supply.
Click here for more information about Fertilizers and Pesticides.
III. Risks from Fuels
If you do not store or handle petroleum, go to Section IV.
- Are there underground fuel storage tanks on your farm or acreage?
- Are any of your above ground or underground fuel storage tanks located near a water well or surface water body?
- Are there signs of spills or leaks around any fuel tanks?
- Do you have any fuel tanks that are not located on a containment structure or
spill pad?
Click here for more information about Fuels.
IV. Risks from Hazardous Wastes
- Do you use products without following the directions on the “warning “or
“caution” labels? - Do you ever pour hazardous substances such as antifreeze, oil, paints,
stains, polishes or solvents down a sink drain or storm drain, in a ditch, or on
the ground? - Do you burn plastics, batteries, chemicals, treated lumber, or other hazardous items?
- Have you disposed of hazardous waste in an area other than a designated
disposal facility?
Click here for more information about Hazardous Waste.
V. How Safe is Your Septic System?
If your household is on a public sewer, go to Section VI.
- Is your septic system less than 100 feet from your well or surface water?
- Has it been longer than three years since you had your septic tank inspected or cleaned out?
- Do you pour grease, oil, or leftover household chemicals down your
drain? - Do you ever see evidence of standing or “smelly” water that may have come from
your septic system?
Click here for more information about Septic Systems.
VI. Managing Livestock
If you do not have livestock, skip to the end.
- Does runoff from your barnyard or manure collection area flow into streams or
other surface water? - During rain events, is runoff from your roof or yard allowed to come in contact with
the manure? - Are your manure storage areas located less than 100 feet or uphill from your well
or surface waters?
Click here for more information about Animal Waste.
What Now?
If you answered “Yes” or “Don’t Know” to any of the previous questions, water from your property could potentially threaten your family’s health, the value of your property or the health of people downstream. To find out more, please see the fact sheets and surveys below, or contact your local extension office.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Managing Your Septic System
- Managing Animals to Protect Your Water
- Fertilizers as Potential Pollutants
- Pestcides as Potential Pollutants
- Household Chemicals / Hazardous Wastes
- Fuels as Potential Pollutants
Please also see our on-line water quality tool kit for help in interpreting your water quality test results.
As the owner of a small acreage, water is important to many of your activities. If you have a private well, then you may use groundwater for drinking and other household needs, for watering your animals or irrigating your land. If you have water rights for surface water, then you are able to irrigate your pastures, gardens or lawn. If your land has running water, ponds or wetlands, you may use this water for your animals, for fishing and other recreation, or just for the aesthetic pleasures that water can bring. With these benefits comes the responsibility to protect the quality of this water. Protecting water quality not only benefits you and your family by preserving healthy drinking water and a healthy environment, but it also protects those water users downstream.
Click here for simple tips on how you can be part of the solution to pollution.
WELL HEAD PROTECTION return to survey
Protect your wellheads through proper disposal of hazardous wastes, and proper application and storage of pesticides, fertilizers and petroleum products.
A source of clean drinking water is critical for human health. If you get your drinking water from a private well, it is YOUR responsibility to assure that your water is safe to drink. Test your well water periodically to assure that your water is safe to drink. For more information on testing your well water, click here.
Help in interpreting water tests is easily available through our on-line water quality tool kit.
What to do if your drinking water contains health threatening pollutants, or has taste or odor problems:
Water Treatment Systems Fact Sheet
If your water has gotten contaminated, you must identify the source of contamination and remove it, or your water will become contaminated again! Even if your tests do not show contamination of your well, it is wise to check your land for any activities that may put your water at risk. Locating and controlling sources of pollution to groundwater can be challenging, but is far preferable to the cost and difficulty of cleaning up contaminated groundwater. Ironically, wells are often the most direct route for pollutants to get into our groundwater.
Wells that aren't used for drinking water:
If you have a well that is no longer being used, you should consider closing the well to avoid any contamination of ground water. Well closing recommendations include:
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Remove pump, piping and any other obstructions from the well.
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Close the entire length of unused wells with approved materials such as a slurry of neat cement or bentonite clay.
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The well should be chlorinated before it is sealed. The entire length of the well should then be sealed to prevent surface water from entering the ground water, and to prevent contamination movement from one aquifer to another.
For more information about potential risks to your water and steps you can take to protect your water, see the following fact sheets.
What's the Risk to Your Well Water?
How to Protect Your Well Water
Wells which are used for irrigation or animal watering only still need need to be protected, because contamination that enters may pollute a neighboring well.
Note: if you use a well only for irrigation or watering animals, you may also want to test the water fro those purposes. Help in interpreting water tests is easily available through our on-line water quality tool kit.
Click here to view a presentation about protecting your well head, or download the PowerPoint Well Head Protection.
SEPTIC SYSTEMS return to survey
Manage your septic system to protect your ground and surface water from disease causing pathogens and from nutrients.
Many homeowners in Utah treat household wastewater with a septic tank system. Proper management of these systems can protect your family from possible health impacts, reduce the need for expensive repairs, and protect water resources.
Click here to view a presentation about managing your septic system, or download the PowerPoint Septic Tank Management.
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For more information about steps you can take to protect your water from septic tank contamination, see the following fact sheet: |
ANIMAL WASTE return to survey
Protect your well water and your surface
Animal waste that is introduced directly into a stream or pond or runs off the land in storm water or irrigation water can pollute the water with nutrients, sediments, and disease causing organisms. In addition, animals can damage streams and other water ways directly by trampling stream banks or over grazing the stream banks. This can lead to increased erosion, flooding problems, loss of pasture land and increased pollution. Activities on your land can threaten the quality of your well water and waterbodies on your land, but also may threaten downstream waters and neighboring wells.
Click here to view a presentation on reducing pollution from animal manure and other impacts of domestic animals, or download the powerpoint Managing Animal Manure.ppt
For more information about steps you can take to protect your well and surface water from animal waste contamination, see the following fact sheets.
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Manure Management: What's the Risk to Your Water from Stored Manure? How to Manage Stored Manure and Protect Your Water Managing Livestock Yards: What's the Risk to Your Water from a Livestock Yard? How to Manage Your Livestock and Protect Your Water Livestock Manure Information: Manure and Nutrient Quantity Calculation Sheet Manure and Pasture Management: Management for Recreational Horse Owners |
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National Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center
FERTILIZERS AND PESTICIDES return to survey
Fertilizers as common pollutants of concern.
Proper storage, handling and application of fertilizers on farmsteads or acreages are essential to protect water sources from chemical contamination. Excessive application rates, spills in storage areas, and seemingly insignificant spills during mixing and loading can lead to fertilizer movement into surface or ground waters. If contamination reaches drinking water sources, nitrates in the fertilizer can pose serious health risks--especially for infants and young livestock. In addition to health concerns, laws governing nutrients in surface water are being more strictly enforced than in the past, in part because fertilizer runoff into surface water can cause excess algae growth and result in fish kills.
For more information about potential risks to your water from fertilizer contamination and steps you can take to protect your water, see the following fact sheets:
What's the Risk to Your Water from Fertilizer Contamination?
How to Protect Your Water from Fertilizer Contamination
Pesticides as potential pollutants:
When handling and storing pesticides on your farmstead or acreage, you should always have a strategy to prevent contamination of water resources. Accidental pesticide spills around wells can, and do, lead to contamination of groundwater, which can affect your and your neighbor’s wells. Contaminated surface runoff creates a threat to streams and lakes, and pesticide contamination can make the sale or transfer of land difficult. Managing your pesticides to reduce risk of water contamination does not require a major investment of money or time. It does, however, require responsibility and the will to take action. Taking precautions with your pesticides is considered the best action to reduce risk of water contamination.
For more information about potential risks to your water from pesticide contamination and steps you can take to protect your water, see the following fact sheets:
What's the Risk to Your Water from Pesticide Contamination?
How to Protect Your Water from Pesticide Contamination
HAZARDOUS WASTES return to survey
Home chemicals and hazardous wastes can pose potential risks to the quality of your water:
Waste products are an inevitable result of daily living. While some types of waste are harmless, a significant number are potentially hazardous to our health and the environment. Waste products are hazardous if they are toxic, corrosive, flammable or explosive. The federal government identifies over 500 specific materials as hazardous wastes. Even a small amount of these materials can contaminate ground or surface water and can be very difficult to clean up.
Below are some common hazardous materials found around the home and farmstead or acreage.
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solvents, spot removers and dry cleaning fluids
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pesticides
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oil and lead based paint, turpentine, stains, finishes, paint strippers and wood preservatives
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tires and car batteries, used oil filters
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household cleaners
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ash from burned trash and sludge from burned waste oil
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gasoline, antifreeze and used motor oil
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flea powder and veterinary waste
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photography chemicals
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asbestos
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For more information about potential risks to your water from household chemical contamination and steps you can take to protect your water, see the following fact sheets: |
FUELS return to survey
Petroleum products as potential water pollutants:
Fuel spills and leaks pose a serious threat to human health and environmental quality. One gallon of gasoline can contaminate up to 1 million gallons of water. Cleanup of fuel-contaminated soil and water can
be extremely difficult and expensive. It is best to take precautions to ensure that spills or leaks do not occur.
For more information about potential risks to your water from fuel contamination and steps you can take to protect your water, see the following fact sheets:
What's the Risk to Your Water from Petroleum Based Fuel?
How to Protect Your Water from Spilled Fuel