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Q & A > General Info
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Questions &
Answers : General Water Quality
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Q. Does a little leak in my house really
waste water?
Q. What is a
watershed?
Q. How can I find out about the quality of my
drinking water?
Q. What
are the health concerns related to well water?
Q. What tests should I have done on my well water? How often
should I have them done?
Q. My well tested positive for total coliform
bacteria. What can I do?
Q. How can I safely dispose of household chemicals such as
paints, housecleaning supplies, and photographic chemicals?
Q. How can I safely dispose of used automotive products?
Q. Does a little leak in my house really
waste water?
A. It's not the little leak that wastes water -- it's the
little leak that keeps on leaking that wastes water. The
fact that the leak is so little, may also mean that you ignore
it.
So, how can a little leak turn into a big waste? Many of
our toilets have a constant leak -- somewhere around 22
gallons per day. This translates into about 8,000 gallons
per year of wasted water; water that could be saved. Think of a leaky water line coming into your house. If it
leaks 1 gallon of water every 10 minutes, that means that you
are losing (and paying for) 144 gallons per day, or 52,560
gallons per year. The leak can also lead to failure of the OWS, because the system is overloaded.
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Q. What is a
watershed?
A. A watershed is simply the land
that water flows across or through on its way to a common
stream, river, or lake. A watershed can be very large (e.g.
draining thousands of square miles to a major river or lake
or the ocean), or very small, such as a 20-acre watershed
that drains to a pond.
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Q. How can I find out about the quality of my drinking water?
A. If you are on a community water
system, your municipality or water district should be able
to answer your questions. Community water supply systems
perform regular tests and will provide reports on request.
If you have a private well system, you can
contact Boulder County Public
Health’s Laboratory. For a minimal fee they can run
tests on water quality.
Private testing laboratories are also
available and listed in the telephone book under
laboratories.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's
laboratory phone number is (303) 692-3500. The Environmental
Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hot Line is
1-800-426-4791.
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Q. What
are the health concerns related to well water?
A.
As the well owner, you are responsible for assuring that your
water is safe to drink. Basically, the water should be free
from organisms that can cause illness. These organisms include
bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and helminths (worms).
Diseases that are transmitted by water can cause anything from
an upset stomach to more serious, long-term health problems.
Examples of some serious diseases include typhoid fever, salmonellosis, giardia, infectious hepatitis, and others.
Additional information for waterborne
disease:
Chemical contamination should also be a concern. For example,
the amount of nitrate in the water should be a concern if you
live in an agricultural area, near animal feed lots, or in
other areas where fertilizers are used. Nitrate levels that
exceed 10 milligrams per liter can cause methemoglobinemia,
commonly known as blue baby syndrome in infants less than 1
year old. Negative long-term health effects associated with
consuming nitrates also exist.
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Q.
What tests should I have done on my well water? How often
should I have them done?
A. At least once each year, you should
test for coliform bacteria, pH, and total dissolved solids.
These tests should be conducted during the spring or summer,
following a rainy period.
Coliform bacteria tests should also be
conducted after replacing pipes or after installing a new
pump. Tests should also be conducted if water quality
changes in color, odor, taste, etc. Where you live or what
you are living next to can affect the quality of your water.
If someone in your family becomes ill or the taste, odor or
color of your water changes, your supply may be
contaminated.
Every 3 years, you should test for nitrates,
sulfate, chloride, fluoride, iron, manganese, hardness, and
corrosion index. Test for the presence of lead if your home
plumbing contains lead material or brass fittings.
Below is a list of situations that deserve
attention.
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Condition or
nearby activities |
Recommended test |
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Recurrent gastrointestinal illness |
Coliform bacteria |
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Household plumbing contains lead |
pH, lead, copper |
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Indoor radon |
Radon |
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Scaly residue or soaps don't lather |
Hardness |
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Is a water softener needed? |
Hardness, manganese, iron |
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Stains on plumbing fixtures or laundry |
Iron, copper, manganese |
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Objectionable taste or rotten egg smell |
Hydrogen sulfide,
corrosion, metals |
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Water appears cloudy, frothy, or colored |
Detergents |
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Nearby agriculture |
Nitrate, pesticides, coliform bacteria
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Odor of gasoline or near gas station |
Volatile organic
compounds |
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dry-cleaning business nearby |
Chloride, metals
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Dump, junkyard, landfill or VOC's |
TDS, pH, sulfate |
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Q. My well
tested positive for total coliform
bacteria. What can I do?
A.
The presence of coliform bacteria indicate that the water
system has been contaminated from an unspecified source. Water
containing coliform bacteria may also contain disease-causing
organisms and is considered unsafe to drink.
In time, bacteria can develop or grow in any well. Sooner or
later, bacterial growth will occur if organic material is
present in the well.
The presence of coliform bacteria may be due to a structural
defect that allows contamination to enter the well. A good
drilled and cased well normally has a 6-inch casing which
extends down at least 100 feet. The casing extends above the
ground surface 1 foot. The top of the casing has a cap which
is called a sanitary seal.
Some wells are just hand dug down to the water table. Hand dug
wells usually have larger openings and are difficult to
protect. Any openings in the well structure that could allow
entry of surface water, rodents, or insects into the well
should be corrected before trying to eliminate the bacteria.
Openings should be covered to provide a water-tight seal.
Sometimes a cover which overlaps a rim can be made to provide
a shoe box-type fit. Any vent should be directed downward and
screened off.
If you are not familiar with wells, you can contact a pump
installer or well service business.
A contaminated well can often be disinfected. Contact your
county health department for instructions on disinfecting your
contaminated well. Some wells may need to be disinfected more
than once to destroy the problem organisms.
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Q.
How can I safely dispose of household chemicals?
A. Boulder County operates a
central household hazardous waste collection facility
that accepts most household hazardous wastes (HHW), including motor
oil, antifreeze, and other automotive products; garden, hobby,
and pet products; drain cleaners; pool chemicals; household
batteries; paint and other home maintenance products.
Location
Located at 5880 Butte Mill Road, Boulder (one-half mile east
of 55th Street and Pearl Parkway, inside the Western Disposal
Transfer Station); the HHW hotline is (303) 441-4800.
Hours
The facility is open for waste drop-off (no appointment
necessary) each Wednesday 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Friday and
Saturday between 8 a.m. - 12 noon.
During open hours, the
facility also holds a products giveaway, when reusable
products are made available to the public free of charge.
Please note: the facility is not open on public holidays and
may close in extreme weather. Please call (720) 564-2226 to
check for closures, or for more information.
Cost
There is no charge, but it's not free. The Household Hazardous
Waste Program is funded by Boulder and Broomfield Counties;
the cities of Boulder, Lafayette, Longmont, and Louisville; and
the towns of Erie, Nederland, and Superior. Each city pays for
the participation of its residents and the county pays for
participation by small town and unincorporated area
residents.
Who served
The program serves all Boulder County residents,
County of
Broomfield, and Town of Erie residents. This includes the
following communities: Allenspark, Boulder, Broomfield (All
City of Broomfield residents), Erie (All Town of Erie
residents), Jamestown, Lafayette, Longmont*, Louisville,
Lyons, Nederland, Niwot, Superior (Boulder County residents
only), and Ward. Proof of residency (i.e.
driver's license, voter identification, tax certificate, lease
agreement) is required when you drop off wastes.
* The City of Longmont hosts its own event in the
fall. Call
the Public Works Division at (303) 651-8416 for more
information.
For additional information, reference the County Resource
Conservation Division website at
www.bouldercounty.org/recycling/hhw/hhwhome.htm
Keep Colorado beautiful, healthy, and safe. Contact the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at (303)
692-2035 for more information on hazardous household wastes
and their disposal.
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Q.
How can I safely dispose of automotive chemicals?
A. Residential wastes can be handled in the same fashion as
listed in the answer above or follow this
link to disposal information.
Boulder County operates a central
household hazardous waste collection facility that accepts most
household hazardous wastes, including motor oil, antifreeze,
and other automotive products; garden, hobby and pet products;
drain cleaners, pool chemicals; household batteries; paint and
other home maintenance products.
For the most part, automotive wastes can be taken to
participating filling stations, oil and lube businesses, and
some garages. Many locally operated landfills will also take
these items. Other commercial wastes would need to be hauled
by a licensed hazardous waste disposal contractor to properly
dispose of the waste.
Call the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
at (303) 692-2035 for more information on how you can help
keep yourself and your community healthy through safe disposal
of automotive waste.
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Please Note: This information is
intended to provide a better understanding of the functions of
onsite wastewater treatment and the need for proper design,
installation, and maintenance. Always consult a licensed
professional or public health official with questions
regarding engineering, installation, and servicing of onsite
wastewater systems.
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Water Quality Program, Environmental Health Division
Boulder County Public Health (BCPH)
3450 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304
(303) 441-1564 www.BoulderCountyWater.org
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