Before you do your summer chores, you should read more…
As the weather gets warmer in most of the country, you will be spending more time outdoors. Our wellcare® Hotline has received several calls on what products are okay to use near or with a water well system.
The easiest answer is, do not use chemicals. Pesticides and fertilizers can reach aquifers through the soil by way of rain or snow recharge. Not using chemicals may not always be realistic, but we have put together some tips to help lower the risk of contamination to your drinking water:
Outdoors
The concern – Proper storage and disposal of products and using chemicals near your well.
- Storing/disposing of chemicals– If you have open containers, store them as far away from your well as possible (at least 100ft.), in their original container with labels intact, and tightly closed. Clean up any spills immediately. Bring unwanted pesticides to your local household hazardous waste collection program. Try using earth911.com to find locations near you where you can recycle.
- Car washing– Choose non-toxic, biodegradable soap that is free of phosphates, fragrance, chlorine, and petroleum-based ingredients. Avoid using acid-based wheel cleaners. Wash and rinse your car away from your well.
- Lawn care– Fertilizers can be beneficial to your lawn and garden. However, many fertilizers contain nitrogen, which can convert to harmful nitrate. There are several alternatives to chemical fertilizers available at most garden centers that use natural materials to enrich soil.
- Pest control– Pesticides can contaminate water resources, so it is best to use natural products like citrus peels, cucumbers, vinegar, traps, essential oils, or plant herbs like peppermint. The list of remedies seems endless!
- Weeds– It may be easier to use weed killer, but it isn’t the safest option. Instead, try pulling the weeds, spot treat with salt, lemon juice (just don’t accidentally spray your flowers or lawn), vinegar, or boiling water.
Indoors
The concern – Anything that goes down the drain if you have a septic system. We recommend not using bleach products as this can kill the good bacteria in your septic. In turn, if the septic doesn’t work properly in can contaminate groundwater – your well water! You will also want to be careful with cleaning products that contain bleach as well.
For more tips on what not to put down the drain, read our information sheet on Your Septic System.