The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit reminds its residents that if you are drinking water from a private well on your property, you can test your well water for free!
Year-round well water testing is free of charge for private residential use. Water is tested for total coliform and E. coli bacteria.
Well water quality can change and it’s a good idea to test your water at least 3 times per year to check for bacteria that could be harmful. It’s also recommended to test your well water after any repairs, heavy rains, flooding, long periods of non-use, or if there is any change in the amount of well water, smell, colour, clarity, or taste.
Special bottles must be used for collecting water samples.
These bottles can be picked-up and dropped-off for FREE at either of the following health unit office locations [1]:
Bottle pick-up times: Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Bottle drop-off times: Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Friday* 8:30 a.m. to 12:00.
*No Friday drop-off before holiday weekends.
Please visit the Public Health Ontario webpage for step-by-step instructions [2] for collecting and submitting a water sample.
Total Coliform per 100 mL |
E. Coli per 100 mL |
What does this mean? |
---|---|---|
0 |
0 |
Safe for drinking Maintain regular testing |
1-5 |
0 |
Safe for drinking Maintain regular testing |
6->80 |
0 |
Unsafe for drinking unless boiled or treated |
1->80 |
1->60 |
Unsafe for drinking unless boiled or treated |
Overgrown (O/G) |
|
Unsafe for drinking unless boiled or treated |
If you receive an adverse water sample result, your drinking water is unsafe to drink. It is important that you:
Consider using commercially bottled water or municipal supply if available.
If you want to continue to use your well water, please see the treatment options listed below:
Refrigerate boiled or treated water in clean, food-grade containers.
Bottled or sterilized water is safe for drinking. It’s recommended to use for food washing and preparation (unless water will be boiled as noted above), brushing teeth, bathing children, and washing dishes.
Untreated well water can be used with caution for baths, showers, and laundry. You must disinfect your hands afterwards.
Homeowner’s should know what type well they have because its design, construction and maintenance have a direct effect on the quality and quantity of water you draw from it.
A properly maintained well helps prevent your water from being contaminated.
A well may need to be disinfected if it is newly installed, or it has been serviced.
For more information, Public Health Ontario has published a technical bulletin [3] and created a well disinfection tool. [4] There is also a Best Management Practices: Water Wells document. [5] A free copy can be picked up at any of our health unit offices or the municipal office on Pelee Island.
There are two main ways to treat your water supply: disinfection and filtration.
Disinfection is a process that uses a chemical or physical disinfection process such as chlorine, ultraviolet (UV) light or ozone. The most common methods to treat water systems is chlorine and UV light.
Filtration uses a filter to remove things like dirt and sand, and to reduce parasites from the water. A filter is required for all surface water systems and for groundwater systems that are at risk for surface water contamination. Examples of filtration systems are carbon and charcoal filters, reverse osmosis, and water softeners.
These devices continuously add a certain amount of a chlorinated product for a certain period of time to allow for the water drawn through the system to be treated.
This process passes water by UV radiation. The special light is inside the water in a waterproof sleeve and sends out UV waves that can destroy harmful micro-organisms.
Reminder: always follow the manufacturers instructions for the use of any treatment systems.
*The quality and source of your well water will determine what type of treatment system if any is required to ensure your drinking water is safe to use.
Contaminant |
Possible removal technologies |
---|---|
Turbidity (suspended material, dirt) |
Filtration |
Fecal coliform (coliform, E. coli) |
Disinfection |
Viruses (Enteroviruses) |
Filtration and Disinfection |
Parasites (Cryptosporidium oocysts, Giardia cysts) |
Filtration and Disinfection |
Chemicals (Arsenic, Fluoride, Lead, Nitrate and Nitrite, Sodium, Uranium, etc.) |
Contact a water treatment specialist to determine which device would be most suitable for your system: Submicron Filtration, Anion Ion Exchange, Activated Alumina, Reverse Osmosis, Micro-filtration |
Source: Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Small Drinking Water Systems: Treatment Options.
For more information on well water treatment, visit the Government of Canada’s webpage: Be Well Aware – Information for private well owners. [6]
Cisterns are tanks used for the storage of drinking water. These can be found above or below ground, and come in different shapes and sizes. Cisterns are common in areas where there is no access to safe drinking water or where water quality is poor. Water used in cisterns for drinking must come from your local municipal water treatment plant and be safe for drinking.
If you have a cistern on your property, it’s important to maintain it and test the water at least once per year to make sure it is safe to drink.
Links
[1] https://www.wechu.org/about-us/contact-us
[2] https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/ServicesAndTools/LaboratoryServices/Pages/Water-Testing-SubmitASample.aspx
[3] https://www.ontario.ca/page/wells-regulation-well-disinfection-technical-bulletin
[4] https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/ServicesAndTools/Tools/Pages/Well-Disinfection-Tool.aspx
[5] http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/environment/bmp/well.htm
[6] https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/water-talk-information-private-well-owners.html
[7] https://www.wechu.org/tags/safe-water
[8] https://www.wechu.org/tags/drinking-water
[9] https://www.wechu.org/tags/small-drinking-water-systems
© Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, 2022. All Rights Reserved.
1005 Ouellette Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N9A 4J8 - 519-258-2146