Month: March 2024

This fun experiment will teach your little ones what can dissolve in water. It can be applied to water sources, like groundwater, and how contaminants aren’t always visible in well water.

What you’ll need:

• 5 different powders such as sugar, salt, gelatin powder, flour, and pepper
• 5 clear jars
• Water
• Stirrers

Steps:

1. Talk to your kids about what they think will happen when water is added to the jars.

2. Warm the water that you will be adding into the jars (this will make the experiment a bit faster than using cold water. You could also use warm water for the first run experiment and cold water for the second run and note the differences).

3. Put one tablespoon of material into a jar. Repeat 4 times with the other materials into the remaining jars.

4. Pour 1 cup of warm water into each jar.

5. Stir each jar and then wait 60 seconds.

Once the 60 seconds is up, your kids can determine which materials dissolved in the water and which ones didn’t. You can ask them which ones they guessed correctly and which ones they had to change their answers on.

Extra Tip: To get them to think like a scientist, you can ask them, “What do these results tell you?”

Adapted from https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/which-solids-dissolve-in-water-chemistry/

A poorly maintained wastewater treatment system (also known as your septic system) can pose a serious threat to the quality of your drinking water and can require expensive repairs. Just like your well, you should have a maintenance plan for your septic system. Here’s a checklist for your septic system:

1. Have your septic tank inspected for capacity and leaks.
2. Pump your septic tank every 3-5 years based on the use and size of your household. Your septic service professional can provide recommendations.
3. Repair the septic tank or drainfield system as needed to prevent leaks of bacteria and nutrients into groundwater.

More tips: Never drive or park a vehicle on the septic as this may crush buried lines or compress the soils around the leach field which can lead to failure.

If you have any questions about your septic system, contact your septic service professional or the wellcare® Hotline at 888.395.1033 or visit our website.

If you need assistance locating a professional, check with your local health department or search these websites: NOWRA and NAWT.

For more information, see our wellcare® information sheet on Your Septic System.

Please note that not all well water needs or has treatment. However, if you have treatment currently installed, you should make every effort to maintain it properly. Check with your treatment system’s manufacturer or the company that installed them for the maintenance schedule. If you do not have treatment, we highly recommend that you test your water first to determine if it is necessary. Water test results also help to determine the best system(s) for your water quality. Before selecting and installing treatment, discuss your results and concerns with a water treatment professional in your area.

To locate a water treatment professional visit Water Quality Association’s (WQA) website.

Water treatment should be certified by either NSF or WQA when available. Water testing after treatment is installed is equally important to confirm the effectiveness of the system(s).

Download our wellcare® Water Treatment sheet for more information.

If you have additional questions on water treatment, contact the wellcare® Hotline by calling 888-395-1033, send us an email, or chat with us live on our website.

At a minimum, your water should be tested every year for bacteria, the most common water quality problem. Additional tests may be recommended depending on where you live and what may be present in your area such as arsenic, lead, nitrate, and radon.

You should test more than once a year in special situations:

• someone in the household is pregnant or nursing;
• there are unexplained illnesses in the family;
• you notice a change in water taste, odor, color, or clarity;
• your neighbors find a dangerous contaminant in their water; or
• there is a spill of chemicals or fuels into or near your well.

Our wellcare® Well Water Testing and Understanding Your Well Water Test Results information sheets will walk you through the steps you need to take to ensure your well water is safe.

Contact your state or local health department for a list of state-certified laboratories in your area or use our interactive map and watch our new video on How to Sample Well Water.

If you have additional questions on well water testing or need help once you receive your test results, contact the wellcare® Hotline by calling 888-395-1033, send us an email, or chat with us live on our website.

As a well owner, you are responsible for caring for your water well system. Spring is a perfect time to start your well maintenance, starting with well inspection.

Several times each year you should visually inspect your wellhead – checking the well covering and casing to make sure all are in good condition and that there are no cracks or other entry points for potential contamination.

It is recommended that your well is inspected every 5 years by a licensed well contractor. The inspection should include, but is not limited to, the following:

• the wellhead
• the pump
• storage tank
• pipes and valves
• water flow

If you have no inspection record and cannot determine the age of the well, have it inspected immediately by a licensed well contractor. To keep track of your well maintenance, you can utilize our Well Owner’s Manual which has a section for your well maintenance history. To view and download our WOM, click here.

For a list of licensed well contractors in your area, use our interactive map on our website. If you need help locating a licensed well contractor, contact the wellcare® Hotline at 888-395-1033.