Ground Water Awareness Week
Monday, March 12, 2012
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This week (March 11-17) is National Ground Water Awareness Week. Just as you check your furnace or smoke detector batteries seasonally, spring is a good season to have an annual drinking water well checkup before the peak water use season begins. Every household well owner is urged to check his or her well cap to make sure it is in good condition to protect their water supply from contamination. A damaged or unsecured well cap can allow the entry of bacteria or other contaminants into the well. It is one of the easiest things to check, and any well owner can do it. Other things you can do to protect your well and drinking water supply:
- Properly maintain your septic system: make sure to have your septic tank pumped every 3 to 5 years and check for signs that your septic system is not working
- Handle gasoline, motor oil, fertilizers, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals with care, making sure not to dump them on the ground or pour them down the sink. When you’re done with them, dispose of them properly at a recycling center
- Inspect your heating oil tank and its piping to make sure it’s not leaking, starting to corrode or rust, or in danger of tipping over
- Don’t throw away or flush unused or unwanted medications down the drain. Instead, properly and safely dispose of them by using Maine’s Safe Medicine Disposal for ME free medication mailback program
To learn more about how you can protect your well water, visit wellwater.maine.gov or www.wellowner.org. To learn more about public water systems in Maine, visit www.medwp.com
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