Newsletter #113 for May 2025
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Private Well Conference Registration Closes May 5!
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Just a few days remain to sign up for our 2025 Private Well Conference! Registration (which is completely free!) will close on Monday, May 5.
We are so excited to host our first in-person conference since 2019 in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. By bringing together the well practitioner community and providing fresh information & insights, we will benefit well owners across the country. The conference is open to a wide array of well professionals, including drillers, environmental health professionals, health department staff, laboratory personnel, extension educators, and academics.
Follow these links in order to:
Please contact us at info@privatewellclass.org or 1-866-945-0699 with any further questions. We're looking forward to seeing you!
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Request Free Copies of Our "Is Your Well Water Safe?"
Brochure Until May 23
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We are extending the ordering window for our "Is Your Well Water Safe?" brochure until after the conclusion of our Private Well Conference later this month. You now may place online orders for the brochures through Friday, May 23,
2025.
The orders will ship in June.
We're very pleased with the tremendous response these brochures have received and that they continue to be helpful in efforts to support well owners. We look forward to each time we get to re-supply your stocks or provide someone's very first batch!
As a reminder, these brochures are appropriate for county and state health departments, laboratories, extension offices, technical assistance providers, and other well stakeholders.
All brochure orders are completely free. See PDFs of both versions of the brochure:
Request brochures for your organization here »
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The Coalition for Safe Drinking Water Renews Calls for Private Well Drinking Water Protections in Massachusetts
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Last week on Earth Day, the
Coalition for Safe Drinking Water announced their call for state lawmakers to advance legislation establishing statewide water quality standards for private well water in Massachusetts.
Over half a million commonwealth residents rely on private wells, many of which are contaminated by forever chemicals, arsenic, uranium, and more. Passing bills S.585 and H.900 would expand a financial assistance program to remediate affected wells.
Read more about the coalition's push for these first-in-the-nation water quality standards at their Earth Day press release. »
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Tap Talk — Examining Well Water Standards, Sampling, and Research in Minnesota’s Dakota County
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In February, we welcomed another deeply knowledgeable Minnesotan to Tap Talk! Vanessa Demuth, geologist and well inspector in Minnesota's Dakota County, chatted with Steve and Jennifer about the county’s strict standards for well water, other services available to county well owners, unique pollutants in the area, and more.
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| 🎧 Listen here 🎧
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From the Help Center |
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Can a septic system contaminate my well?
Learn how important it is to maintain an onsite wastewater treatment system to avoid accidently introducing contaminants to a well 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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What Private Well Owners and Well
Professionals Need To Know About PFAS
May 29, 2025 | 1 PM CT
Hosted by PrivateWellClass.org
This is an opportunity to ask questions about PFAS. This webinar will provide information and support for environmental health professionals and homeowners dealing with PFAS issues. Topics include occurrences in private wells, how PFAS gets into well water, common findings, why and when to test, and situations where it is more likely that there may be a PFAS issue in well water.
Register »
We would love your support in distributing this information. Please feel free to share this link.
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Well Care 101 -
What You Need
to Know to Protect Your Family
June 12, 2025 | 1 PM CT
Hosted by PrivateWellClass.org
This is an opportunity to ask questions about your water quality, caring for your private well, and best practices to protect your water supply from contamination. In a survey of over 1,700 well owners, 67% believed their well water was safe without any evidence to support it. You can protect your health and your family's by learning the basics of well care.
Register »
We would love your support in distributing this information. Please feel free to share this link.
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Groundwater and Well Construction 101
Recorded on April 9, 2025
This webinar recording explains how water moves through the ground to wells and how well construction can increase contamination vulnerability. The sessions covers types of wells and well construction, well components, and water treatment options.
Watch Recording »
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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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Maine lawmakers look to increase testing for PFAS in private drinking wells
Maine Morning Star
State legislators in Maine are seeking to advance three bills that would help to better identify and address forever chemicals in the state's drinking water. Two of these bills would expand testing for PFAS substances in wells and add them to the recommendation list for well testing. The third bill would establish maximum PFAS levels in public drinking water systems serving schools, office buildings, and factories.
Read here »
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Partner Events & Workshops
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Texas Well Owner Network: North
East Texas Well Water Screenings
May 5-13 | Various Counties
Hosted by the Texas Well Owner Network
Well owners in various northeastern Texas counties can drop off water samples at specified locations and attend follow-up meetings for an explanation of the screening results.
Separate dates and event listings are available for residents of:
5/5-5/8: Harrison, Gregg, Rusk, Marion, Panola Counties
5/6-5/7: Bowie, Cass, Red River Counties
5/12-5/13: Bell County
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Private Water Supply Education
and Water Testing
May 12 or May 21 | 12:00 pm or 3:00 pm ET |
Nazareth or Pennsylvania Furnace, PA
Hosted by Penn State Extension
These events are designed for people who manage a private drinking water supply. They will cover how to test and protect your well or spring and when water treatment might make sense. They will also discuss well and spring system inspection and maintenance so attendees know how to protect their families, properties, and the groundwater we share. The events for residents of Pennsylvania who use a private water supply (well, spring, cistern) in their primary residence.
Register here.
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Strategies for Addressing Onsite
Difficult Sites for System Professionals
May 13-15 | 8:00 am PT | University Place, Washington
Hosted by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation & NOWRA
This advanced course is designed for onsite system professionals with a foundational understanding of onsite wastewater treatment systems, including soil evaluation and system design. It focuses on providing solutions for new construction and teaches techniques for how to expand or repair failing onsite and decentralized wastewater systems. There will be an optional third day of training for a Train-the-Trainer session.
Register here.
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Septic System Operation and
Maintenance
May 15 | 5:00 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. 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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Conceptos Básicos de Sistemas de
Tratamiento de Aguas Residuales en Sitio + Recomendaciones en el Proceso de Adquisición
May 28 (28 de mayo) | 9 am ET (Nueve de la mañana) |
Online (En línea)
Hosted by RCAP Solutions (Organizado por RCAP Solutions)
This Spanish-language webinar will cover the basic concepts of onsite wastewater treatment systems for RCAP Solutions' service areas in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. From the event listing:
"Este adiestramiento ofrece un resumen de los conceptos básicos de sistemas de tratamiento de aguas residuales en sitio, incluyendo procesos anaeróbicos y aeróbicos. Se ofrecerá mayor atención a pozos sépticos y las unidades aeróbicas de tratamiento ('ATU') que son los más comunes en Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes. Para los participantes con experiencia provee un buen repaso, y para los que comienzan ahora les ofrecen una buena base y mejor entendimiento. En adición, el adiestramiento ofrecerá recomendaciones en el proceso de adquisición de sistemas nuevos, incluyendo el proceso, pasos más frecuentes, solicitudes de precio, contratación y selección. Este adiestramiento está diseñado para asistir sistemas comunitarios y/o individuos
en dichos sistemas. No empece, la información puede ser de utilidad a profesionales, reguladores y estudiantes."
Register here.
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Septic System Operations &
Maintenance for Homeowners
May 29 | 6:00 pm PT | Online
Hosted by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation
This online course will educate homeowners on proper operation and maintenance of their septic systems, common troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and solutions.
Register here.
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Save the Date for SepticSmart Week 2025!
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This year's SepticSmart Week is just under five months out! It's never too early to start planning for this yearly opportunity to call attention to the necessity of properly caring for septic systems. Homeowner education events, training workshops, and social media campaigns are key components of the week's events.
Make sure to mark September 15-19 on your calendar! Keep an eye on the US EPA's Septic Systems homepage, as well as other sources like NOWRA and DecentralizedWastewater.org, for more information and ideas on how you can participate.
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| SepticSmart at the EPA »
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Reducing the Risk of Groundwater Contamination by Improving Drinking Water Well Conditions
University of Missouri Extension
This document, from University of Missouri Extension, offers guidance on improving drinking water well conditions and reducing the risk of groundwater contamination. It covers well location, separation distances, well construction, well types, well management and maintenance, unused wells, and more.
View the document »
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Featured Video:
Dr. Alan Woolf Talks Pediatrician's Perspective on Private Wells |
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This video, brought to you by RCAP Solutions and the Coalition for Safe Drinking Water, explains the background of the coalition's push for water quality standards for wells in Massachusetts, and includes testimony from Boston Children's Hospital pediatrician Dr. Alan Woolf on the importance of ensuring safe drinking water for children.
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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Visit our other websites:
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Illinois State Water Survey, 2204 Griffith Drive, Champaign, IL 61820, United States
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