Your Well, Your Responsibility video provides private well owners with tips to protect their water
Owners of private wells are responsible for protecting their drinking water source to keep their families, friends, guests, and neighbours safe. Whether you have a drilled, shallow or shared well, a new video offers “practical and easy-to-implement” ideas to protect your well water.
The Your Well, Your Responsibility video is hosted by Doug Hocking, property owner representative on the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Committee (SPC).
Before retirement, Doug worked for more than 30 years in water quality stewardship at Ausable Bayfield and Maitland Valley conservation authorities. In his career, he worked in close partnership with many property owners including agricultural producers, shoreline residents, and other urban and rural landowners.
The new Your Well, Your Responsibility video includes the idea of creating a protection zone, around your well, of at least 15 metres. (Municipal wells have a 100-metre wellhead protection area around them). Well owners are encouraged to look at anything in that area that could contaminate their water if located too close to the well.
This could include animal waste, composters, faulty septic systems, or brush piles – among others. The video also discusses “simple and economical” ideas for containing fuel, chemicals or paint so that they don’t accidentally spill and leak into the ground. There is information on water sampling and testing, where to get well records, and well and septic system maintenance.
Matt Pearson is the local SPC Chair. “Our committee is promoting best practices, for private wells, through public education like this video,” he said. “We are also organizing community Water Wise water sampling events, hosted by local service groups and residents, to encourage positive action by well owners to protect their water.”
Unlike residents on municipal water services, where water is tested and monitored daily, private well owners are responsible for ensuring their own drinking water quality.
The Your Well, Your Responsibility video is the eleventh in a series of videos featuring SPC members on a wide range of water topics. The series includes behind-the-scene tours of water facilities. The 11 videos have received more than 27,000 views on YouTube and Facebook.
“Whether you have lived here all your life, or you are new to our area, the videos provide interesting and helpful information,” according to the SPC Chair.
The new Your Well, Your Responsibility video is available on YouTube and on the videos web page of the local source protection region website. To learn more, visit the local drinking water source protection best practices web page.
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