Newsletter #112 for April 2025
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Private Well Conference Registration & Agenda Available!
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If you haven't yet heard... Registration for our 2025 Private Well Conference is officially open!
We invite you to join us at 2025 Private Well Conference from May 20-22, in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, at the Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel & Conference Center. This is our first in-person Private Well Conference since 2019, but our mission remains unchanged: Serve those who work with wells by providing information and insights that can be taken home and used to benefit well owners. Health department staff, lab personnel, extension educators, well drillers, environmental health professionals, and academic researchers are all among the well
practitioners we expect to most benefit from the conference.
The registration form, program agenda, and transportation/accommodation information can all be found at our website below. And we can't forget to mention: Registration is entirely free!
Please contact us at info@privatewellclass.org or 1-866-945-0699 with any further questions.
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Request Free Copies of Our "Is Your Well Water Safe?" Brochure!
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We are once again distributing FREE copies of our "Is
Your Well Water Safe?" brochures!
The deadline to request copies is April 30, 2025.
These brochures are appropriate for county and state health departments, laboratories, extension offices, technical assistance providers, and other well stakeholders.
We look forward to working with you to re-supply your existing stock of brochures, or providing you with your very first batch! We're very grateful for the tremendous response these brochures have received and are so glad they are helpful in efforts to support private well owners.
You can request brochures at the form linked below. They are completely free and there is space left for you to add your own label as well. There are versions available in both English and Spanish. We expect to mail them in May 2025.
Request brochures for your organization!
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Congratulations to the 2025 Pledge to Test Winner!
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Congratulations to Jean B. from Wisconsin!
Jean has been randomly selected as the winner of the 2025 PrivateWellClass.org Pledge to Test Campaign. Jean has been notified of her selection, which means she won a free Essential Well Water Test from TAP
SCORE.
Additionally, everyone who pledged to test their well water this year can still take $10 off any well water test kit from TAP SCORE with the code: PLEDGE2025, until April 30.
Thank you to all who pledged to test their private well water this year! We had 143 people take the pledge from 43 different states. Stay tuned for next year's Pledge to Test campaign!
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Information on California's Rental Property Domestic Well Testing Requirements (AB2454)
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Last fall, California Governor Gavin Newsome signed three new bills to help fix failing sewer systems and connect more people to drinking water in small, rural communities. The bills were an extension of the SAFER Drinking Water (Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience) program which was established in 2019. Among these news bills was AB 2454, which created testing requirements for domestic wells on rental properties.
According the California State Water Resources Control Board, the new requirements apply when the following conditions are met:
A domestic well provides water to rental properties, and
The domestic well is located within the program boundaries of a free testing program funded or regulated by the State Water Board and/or a Regional Water Board.
When those conditions are met, the owners of the wells are required to:
Test the well water using the free testing program.
Share the test results with residents/tenants within 10 days of receiving them, along with guidance on how to interpret the results.
Provide safe drinking water if the test results show an exceedance of safe drinking water standards, and the program offers free replacement drinking water solutions (bottled water, hauled water, filling stations, etc.)
Read more from the SWRCB here »
Read the Governor's press release here »
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Tap Talk — A Look at Progress and Needs in the Decentralized Wastewater Industry
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In February, our team's Tap Talk podcast marked an exciting occasion: We had our first episode centered entirely around decentralized wastewater and septic tanks! Steve and Jennifer welcomed Sara Heger of the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center — who is a prolific researcher, expert, and trainer in the industry — to talk about recent progress and continued needs for the advancement of decentralized wastewater. Longtime septic and environmental health
professionals, homeowners operating septic systems, and even water professionals in other sectors have much to learn from this conversation!
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From the Help Center |
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Are PFAS chemicals a possible concern with private wells?
Understand what PFAS chemicals are, when to test, and how to treat for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in private wells in this article at our Help Center.
For additional articles and resources for private well owners, explore our Private Well Help Center.
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Upcoming Webinars & Recent Recordings |
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Groundwater and Well Construction
101
April 9, 2025 | 1 PM CT
Hosted by PrivateWellClass.org
This free webinar will explain how water moves through the ground to your well and how well construction can increase contamination vulnerability. It will also cover types of wells & well construction, basic components of a well, and water treatment options.
Register »
We'd love your support in distributing this information, please feel free to share this link.
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Outreach Strategies for Working with Private Well Owners
Recorded on March 12, 2025
This webinar recording addresses topics such as private well fundamentals, how to assess a private well using an assessment tool, how to effectively engage private well owners, how to develop a program for outreach to well owners, and best practices for managing a well owner program.
Watch Recording »
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How to Find Local Information and Help Recording
Recorded on February 18, 2025
This webinar recording explains methods for finding well logs, records, and information about your well, how to find well drillers, contractors, and financial help programs in your area, and when to sample, what to sample for, and best practices to protect your well system.
Watch Recording »
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Michigan's newest PFAS threat: Contamination from household septic systems
Bridge Michigan
A state probe in Michigan has revealed significant PFAS pollution in groundwater and private wells in the Cadillac area. While many in the area believed that an industrial park was the source of this pollution, the probe revealed that the forever chemicals were primarily coming from septic systems at residences, schools, and businesses.
Read here »
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Partner Events & Workshops
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Private Water Supply Education
and Water Testing
April 1 | 6:30 pm ET | Online
Hosted by Penn State Extension
This webinar will cover how to test and protect wells & springs and when water treatment might make sense. It will also discuss well & spring system inspection and maintenance so attendees will know how to protect well users, properties, and the groundwater we share. This event is for residents of Pennsylvania who use a private water supply (well, spring, cistern) in their primary residence.
Register here.
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Being a Private Well Owner –
Part 2
April 3 | 5:00 pm CT | Online
Hosted by Communities Unlimited
Private well owners, technical assistance providers, private well professionals, other stakeholders or any interested parties will benefit from this training. Part 2 of Communities Unlimited's private well owner training will focus on well components and emergency preparedness. Information will also be presented on where your water comes from and the importance of the location of your well.
Register here.
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Iowa State University Private
Well Stewardship Program
April 3, 15, or 23 | Mount Pleasant, Gowrie, or Charles City, IA
Hosted by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
The Private Well Stewardship Program is an educational program in which private well owners learn about the responsibilities and risks of being a private well owner and are connected to additional resources to manage their well. The main goal of the program is to encourage private well owners to test their water quality once per year. The program is designed for busy Iowans, consisting of a single one-hour session that will help Iowans safeguard their drinking water.
More info here.
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Texas Well Owner Network Water
Screening and Results Meeting
April 7-8 | 11 am CT | Hays County, TX
Hosted by the Texas Well Owner Network
Well owners in Hays County can drop off water samples at various locations on April 7, and attend a follow-up meeting on April 8 in Wimberley for an explanation of the screening results.
More info here.
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Frequently Asked Questions About
Ensuring Good Drinking Water Quality
April 16 | 11 am ET | Online
Hosted by University of Maryland Extension
Tune in to hear answers to the most frequently asked questions on drinking water quality. You can also ask your own questions during the registration process or during the webinar. Learn from what others ask.
Register here.
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Alabama - Septic System Basics
for Homeowners
April 17 | 5:30 pm CT | Online
Hosted by Communities Unlimited
This training is ideal for homeowners with a septic system who want to understand how to maintain it effectively and avoid costly repairs. It’s also beneficial for individuals considering purchasing a property with a septic systems. Anyone interested in expanding their knowledge about septic systems and protecting their home, health, and the environment will find this session valuable.
Register here.
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Private Water Supply Education
and Water Testing
April 21 | 3:30 pm or 6:30 pm ET | Mercer or Carlisle, PA
Hosted by Penn State Extension
This event is designed for people who manage a private drinking water supply. It will cover how to test and protect your well or spring and when water treatment might make sense. It will also discuss well and spring system inspection and maintenance so attendees know how to protect their families, properties, and the groundwater we share. This event is for residents of Pennsylvania who use a private water supply (well, spring, cistern) in their primary residence.
Register here.
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You Own a Private Well, Now
What?
April 23 | 5:30 pm PT | Reno, NV
Hosted by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation
This training is meant for homeowners and does not qualify for CEUs/credits for well professionals. Further information coming from RCAC soon.
Register here.
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How to Manage
Your Septic System
April 24 | 5:30 pm PT | Reno, NV
Hosted by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation
This training is meant for homeowners and does not qualify for CEUs/credits for well professionals. Further information coming from RCAC soon.
Register here.
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Water Well Testing &
Training
April 24 | 6:00 pm CT | Senatobia, MS
Hosted by Mississippi Well Owner Network
Residents in Tate County can pick up water sample kits between April 10-23 at the MSU Extension office in Senatobia. They should then drop their samples off on April 24, and can attend a free educational workshop that evening to learn about various topics related to groundwater, well maintenance, and septic systems.
Register here.
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Session Recordings Available from the NEHA Annual Educational Conference & Exhibition 2024
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The National Environmental Health Association has made select sessions from the 2024 AEC available to view in their NEHA eLearning platform. They are available to registered attendees and NEHA members. This is a great opportunity to refresh on your favorite sessions from last year's conference or catch up on any you missed.
Follow these instructions to access the recordings:
- Log in to MyNEHA (or create an account).
- Go to "Shop" > "Browse NEHA Bookstore."
- Search "2024 AEC" and add sessions to your cart.
- Complete checkout to receive access instructions.
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PFAS and Private Well Owners: What You Need to Know
National Ground Water Association
This fact sheet, from the National Ground Water Association, explains to well owners what PFAS are, how to test wells for PFAS, what PFAS test results mean, how to remove PFAS from water, and where to find further information.
View the document »
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RCAP Training Video: PFAS In Well Water |
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This video, brought to you by the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, demonstrates what private well owners can do to protect themselves against PFAS in their well water, how to identify if lead is present in the well water, and how to reduce lead levels if present.
Watch the video »
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PrivateWellClass.org is a free, grant-funded service to support private well owners and the professionals that work with these wells. The program seeks to raise awareness of private well issues and help well owners understand their responsibilities to be a good steward of their well and water source. The Private Well Class, developed at the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is a collaboration with the Rural Community Assistance Partnership with funding from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Call us at 1-866-945-0699 for assistance.
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Illinois State Water Survey, 2204 Griffith Drive, Champaign, IL 61820, United States
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