WELL WATER TESTING RESULTS
by Forrest J. Watson, Member, Environment and Ecology Committee
Well Water Testing for TML residents took place on July 12 this summer; 68 households participated in the test. The following table summarizes TMLA's Well Water Testing results. Although tests are conducted for Total Coliform Bacteria and Nitrate Nitrogen, only the former is shown in the table because we have never had a well with Nitrate Nitrogen that exceeded the EPA and MN Department of Health drinking water limits of 10.00 milligrams per liter (mg/L).
It should be noted that although the upper limit for Nitrate for safe drinking water is 10.00 mg/L, any well with concentrations between 1 and 10 mg/L should be tested annually. The individual reports on well testing result received by homeowners from Instrumental Research, Inc., will show the specific amount of Nitrate. Boiling the water will not remove nitrates; in fact, it can actually increase the concentration.
Most Coliform Bacteria do not cause illness, but if they show up in a water test they indicate that surface contamination (such as fecal wastes) has somehow entered the water and DISEASE-CAUSING ORGANISMS MAY ALSO BE PRESENT. With few exceptions, if a well is disinfected with a strong solution of chlorine the disease-causing organisms will be killed. Boiling of the water is also effective in destroying any coliform bacteria.
