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1. Understanding Drinking Water
By Sharon Skipton, UNL Extension Educator
Nearly everyone gets water simply by turning on the faucet, so it is easy to take water for granted. However, rural residents must operate and maintain their own water supply. For an introductory reference on drinking water protection, quality, and treatment refer to:
NebGuide 1539, An Introduction to Drinking Water,
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/g1539.pdf
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2. Drinking Water Quality
By Sharon Skipton, UNL Extension Educator
Drinking water quality is a common concern among people today. How much do you really know about the water you drink every day? Is it safe to drink?
Drinking water is never pure. Water naturally contains minerals and microorganisms from the rocks, soil and air with which it comes in contact. Human activities can add many more substances to water. But drinking water does not need to be pure to be safe. In fact, some dissolved minerals in water can be beneficial to health. Whether or not drinking water is safe will depend on which impurities are present and in what amounts. |
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For information on drinking water contaminants, including nitrate, calcium and magnesium, sulfates and hydrogen sulfide, lead, copper, arsenic, uranium, and more refer to:
University of Nebraska- Lincoln Extension Water Resources Publications Web Site,
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp?what=subjectAreasD&subjectAreasId=39
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3. Testing Drinking Water
By Sharon Skipton, UNL Extension Educator
The safety or quality of the water provided by your private well is not regulated in Nebraska. Testing your private water supply is a decision made by you. Although not required by regulations, testing a private water supply may be justified.
There is no single test to determine the safety of drinking water. Many contaminants can present a health risk if present in sufficient concentrations. Other contaminants, while not a health risk, can make water less desirable for use. It would be very costly - and in most cases - unnecessary - to test for them all. You must decide which contaminants to have your water tested for, and must order tests accordingly. |
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Tests for nitrate and bacteria are often used as general indicators of the safety of private well water. Generally, private water supplies should be tested annually for nitrate and bacteria. However, testing for nitrate and bacteria does not guarantee the water is safe, as other contaminants could be present.
Tests should be done for other substances when specific contamination is suspected. This might be the result of a spill, backflow, or other such event. It might be the result of a product or contaminant being mixed, used, stored, or disposed of near the well. Any contaminant detected in a nearby private or public well should be suspected.
For more information see:
NebGuide 907, Drinking Water: Testing for Quality,
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/sendIt/g907.pdf
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4. Testing Your Water for Bacteria and Nitrate
By Paul Hay, UNL Extension Educator
Home water test kits are available from several University of Nebraska - Lincoln Extension and Natural Resources District offices. The water testing is done by a laboratory approved to analyze drinking water quality. If the UNL-Extension or NRD office near you does not keep water testing kits on hand, you can order one from an approved laboratory of your choice.
Water tests need to be carefully collected in order to get accurate test results. The bacteria test is meaningless unless a sterile collection bottle is used. Once a sealed sterile bottle is acquired, follow these guidelines.
Set the sealed bottle in a clean dry location and leave it sealed. Remove all in-line filters, and the aspirator at the end of the faucet. Wash these areas with tap water if there is debris accumulated. Start the water running and let it run a steady stream for five minutes (or follow directions provided by the laboratory). Let the water run as you pick up the sample bottle and remove the seal. Hold the sample bottle at a forty-five degree angle, remove the lid and hold it in your hand as you collect the sample. Once the bottle is full replace the lid and wipe the outside of the sample bottle dry. This whole sample collection should be done in a minimum amount of time.
Sample bottles for nitrate-nitrogen testing have a strong acid in the bottle to kill bacteria which should allow for a more accurate nitrate-nitrogen test. Before collecting this sample turn the water to a slow flow in order to avoid splashing the acid on your hands.
Sample collections should be done on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday and mailed or delivered promptly to the lab ensuring the testing is accomplished without weekend delays.
The acceptable level of coliform bacteria in the water is zero. Soil is a good filter to clean out bacteria. If coliform are found in the well several possible reasons need to be checked out. The problem needs to be identified and corrected if possible.
- The well and/or water delivery system may not be sealed properly and dead animals and bugs, or runoff may have introduced the bacteria.
- There could be a crack in the casing near the soil surface allowing bacteria to enter the well without soil filtration.
- You may have back flushed water laden with bacteria into the system by not having a backflow protection device.
- Your well might be too close to the septic tank or drainfield.
- One frequent problem is that the collection procedure contaminated the sample. Poor samples will often have so many bacteria colonies growing that the lab will not be able to complete the test.
If your water test comes back with a concern follow the guidelines supplied by the testing lab and/or a water professional. In the case of coliform bacteria, use alternate water or boil the water, locate the problem if possible and correct the situation, and chlorinate the well.
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5. Water Treatment
By Sharon Skipton, UNL Extension Educator
A variety of water treatment processes are available to the homeowner. The systems differ in the types of chemicals removed, location within the home, and operating and maintenance requirements.
Several processes are available for home water treatment. These include sediment filtration, activated carbon filtration, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, distillation, and chemical oxidation. No system is capable of removing all possible contaminants. |
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Certification of treatment products is available through independent testing laboratories, such as NSF or Water Quality Association (WQA). Results from NSF or WQA tests provide good measures of the effectiveness of devices designed to treat water for both aesthetic and health reasons. Homeowners interested in particular systems can determine if they have been certified by NSF or WQA for the use intended.
For more information on water treatment, refer to:
University of Nebraska- Lincoln Extension Water Resources Publications Web Site,
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/index.jsp?what=subjectAreasD&subjectAreasId=39
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6. Drinking Water Well Design and Construction
By Sharon Skipton, UNL Extension Educator
When a family considers buying property with a well, or putting in a new water well, often one of the first questions asked is, "Can I get a well on my property?" This question is usually followed by more, such as, “How much water will I need?", "Where should the well be located?" or "Where do I get help?" Some of these questions will be answered below.
The average American uses from 60 to 100 gallons of water per day. Cleaning, fire protection, landscape irrigation, water for animals, and other uses increases the total gallons needed per day. Water use does not occur evenly over the course of a day and the water system must often meet the needs of many uses during short periods of time. These times, called peak use periods, usually last from 30 minutes to two hours and usually occur near mealtimes, during laundry periods, and shortly before bedtime.
A water system must be able to meet both total gallons per day and peak use demands. The water system flow rate is the quantity of water delivered in gallons per minute. The flow rate should be at least equal to peak use rate and should be capable of maintaining this rate continuously for one to two hours. For home use, a minimum flow rate of 10 gallons per minute is recommended, but a higher flow rate is desirable. If water needs exceed the maximum well yield, intermediate storage can be installed to help supply water.
A private well must be located and constructed to protect it from sources of contamination. It should be at least 50 feet from a septic tank; at least 100 feet from any seepage pit, cesspool, drainfield, privy, or other subsurface disposal system; and at least 100 feet from any feedlot, manure pit, manure or sewage lagoon, or livestock lot. A well should be constructed of watertight casing; have all joints screwed, welded, or otherwise sealed; have a well casing that extends at least 12 inches above the grade of the land surface; have a sanitary well cap used on the casing and have pitless installation, or if a pit is used, have a pit at least 10 feet away from the well. The space between the casing and the wall of the drill hole must be filled following specific guidelines.
For detailed information on the rules and regulations governing a private drinking water well, see:
Nebraska Health and Human Services System “Regulations Governing Water Well Construction, Pump Installation and Water Well Abandonment Standards”, http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/enh/mws/regs.htm
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7. Where There's A Windmill, There's A Well
By David Shelton, UNL Extension Agricultural Engineer and Sharon Skipton, UNL Extension Educator
There is often something nostalgic and picturesque about an old windmill, even one that is missing most or all of its wheel or other parts. We can imagine how that windmill supplied a growing family and their livestock with drinking water, or how the water was used to help establish a newly planted windbreak around the farmstead, or even taking a refreshing dip in the cattle water tank on a hot summer day. Windmills played an important role in the settlement and growth of Nebraska.
What we generally don’t stop to think about, though, is that there is a well at the base of a windmill tower. Often, these wells are deteriorating and no longer used. Still, the well is a direct connection from the ground surface to the underlying aquifer. This can allow surface runoff to flow directly down to the water-bearing zones, often carrying organic wastes, fertilizers, and other chemical residues such as pesticides and petroleum products into the groundwater. |
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Small animals can fall into these wells, further adding to the contamination. Contaminants that enter an old, out-of-service well are likely to migrate to in-service water supplies such as a new well on the property. (Would you want to drink the remnants of a skunk that fell into an old well and drowned?) In addition, open wells are especially hazardous to children - a risk to human life that can and should be prevented.
Unused wells, especially those that are old and/or in disrepair, or that do not meet current standards as an inactive well, pose a major threat to groundwater quality and represent a serious threat to human health and safety. State law refers to these as “illegal” wells.
There are thousands of these wells in the state. In the early development of communities, most households and businesses had an individual water-supply well. Most of these wells have since been replaced by community water-supply systems, but in many cases, the old wells were not properly decommissioned. Similarly, there are numerous out-of-service wells on abandoned farmsteads and in other rural areas. Often, when an old farmstead is sold off as an acreage, the new owner has a new well drilled, but neglects to properly decommission the old well or wells on the property.
Nebraska regulations require that illegal wells be decommissioned by a licensed Nebraska Well Contractor following the requirements of Nebraska Health and Human Services System Title 178, Water Well Standards and Contractor's Licensing Act, Chapter 12, "Regulations Governing Water Well Construction, Pump Installation and Water Well Decommissioning Standards".
The decommissioning process includes removal of well equipment (pump, piping, etc), disinfection, sealing, filling, capping, and reporting. The cost of decommissioning a well will depend on several factors including accessibility, construction technique and materials, diameter, depth, and condition.
Fortunately, nearly every Natural Resources District (NRD) offers an attractive cost-share incentive to assist well owners in making certain that our groundwater is protected by proper well decommissioning. Payment rates vary by NRD, but typically these programs will pay for 60 to 75% of the costs. To apply for well decommissioning cost-share assistance, well owners must first contact the appropriate NRD for an information and application packet that gives program guidelines, forms, and instructions. No cost-share payments can be made unless all procedures are followed.
If there is an unused well on your property, contact the NRD office today to begin the decommissioning process. It’s okay to keep the windmill for decoration, but have the well properly sealed and do your part to protect groundwater quality and human health and safety.
Click here to locate your local NRD office.
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8. Property in Lancaster County with Private Water, Wastewater Systems Must Be Inspected When Sold
By John Chess, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
Effective May 29, 2006, Lancaster County Resolution R-06-0005 and Lincoln Municipal Code 24.42 requires prior to the sale, transfer or conveyance of property upon which an on-site wastewater treatment system and/or on-site water supply system is located, it shall be the duty of the owner to have each system inspected by a Property Transfer Inspector (PTI) and secure a determination letter from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD).
PTIs must hold a valid permit from LLCHD to conduct inspections on the on-site wastewater system and/or the on-site water system. A current list of PTIs is available by contacting the LLCHD.
The PTI will conduct inspections of the on-site wastewater and/or the onsite water system based on the criteria set by the LLCHD. The inspection results will be submitted to the LLCHD, along with a $75.00 fee for review and issuance of a determination letter. After reviewing the inspection report, LLCHD will issue one of three letters of determination. They are:
- Approval: This means at the time of inspection the on-site wastewater system and/or the on-site water system found the structure and operational status were in substantial compliance with applicable local and state codes.
- Denial: This means either one or both of the on-site systems may adversely affect public health. The denial status does not preclude the sale, transfer or conveyance of property. However, if a serious public health violation does exist, LLCHD may take legal steps to make sure the violation is corrected.
- Undetermined: This means the system could not be inspected due to weather conditions. The inspection must be completed when the weather conditions are acceptable.
The property code does provide exceptions to the inspection requirement and issuance of the determination letter. Examples of the most common exceptions: 1) when a determination letter was issued within the past 36 months; 2) a new system installed in the previous 36 months; 3) transfers from spouse to spouse; and 4) transfers between immediate family members.
If you have questions about the property transfer code, contact John Chess at 441-8027 or Doug Smith at 441-8031.
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9. Wise Water Use Helps Conserve Water and Lower Utility Costs
By Shirley Niemeyer, Extension Housing & Environment Specialist
Water-conserving appliances and practices can reduce household water use and lower electric bills.
Homeowners can reduce water use significantly by repairing leaks, avoiding running unnecessary water, installing water-saving features on older appliances or purchasing new appliances that minimize water use. These actions are particularly useful and responsible during a time of drought. Bathroom fixtures, water softeners, clothes washers and dishwashers use the most water in a home. Target the bathroom first since sinks, showers and toilets make up about three-fourths of all water used indoors.
Older toilets can use 3 to 7 gallons of water for each flush and account for up to 50 percent of all indoor water use depending on individual households. Low-flush toilets only use about 1.6 gallons of water per flush and can save 8,000 or more gallons of water per household per year. Newer improved models include jet-action or pressure-assisted toilets. Consult a consumers’ study and your professional plumber for more information to ensure that the commode being consider is suited to your plumbing drainage system.
Older toilets' water use can be reduced with toilet dams, water-filled containers or a 1.6-gallon flapper if the devices do not interfere with flush action or water flow through waste pipes. These devices displace water and reduce outflows by up to 25 percent.
Sink and shower water use can be cut in half by installing faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads, which reduce the water flow rate while maintaining spray velocity.
Beyond the bathroom, other appliances such as washing machines can use up to 57 gallons of water per load. Always set water level controls to match the load size to save water. Newer, high-efficiency and front-loading models use about 30 to 50 percent less water. Newer technology includes sensing and adjusting for the load size, dirtiness of the water, and fabric type. Some use high-pressure rinses.
In the kitchen, dishwashers can use 7 to 25 gallons of water per full load depending on the model and its age. Newer models use about 7 to 10 gallons of water per full load and have water-saving cycle options to match loads. To reduce water and energy use, run full loads and only pre-rinse when needed.
Some water softener equipment also have features to reduce water use. On-demand water softening equipment measures the demand and softens water only when needed – not on a schedule. These units can save water by eliminating unnecessary regeneration cycles and making the most efficient use of water, salt and energy.
Homeowners also need to check for and repair leaks in toilets, faucets and water systems, which can waste 10 to 20 gallons per day. To find out if your toilet leaks, put a little food coloring in the tank – as long as it won't stain the toilet bowl – and wait 15 minutes without flushing. If color appears in the bowl, you have a leak that should be repaired. Homeowners can check for other leaks in their water system by shutting off all water equipment, including faucets and ice makers. Read the water meter and wait 30 minutes – if the dial moved, there is a leak.
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10. Remove Dead Trees to Prevent Spread of Pine Wilt
By Mark Harrell, Nebraska Forest Service Forest Health Program Leader, and
Becky Erdkamp, Nebraska Forest Service Education & Outreach Specialist
Since entering the state eight years ago, pine wilt has killed an estimated 5,000 trees in Nebraska. The disease is most common in southeast Nebraska, but has also been found around Fremont, Grand Island, North Platte and Valentine.
Pine wilt is caused by a microscopic, worm-like organism called the pinewood nematode. These nematodes live in pines and are carried from tree to tree by insects called pine sawyer beetles. Once inside the tree, the nematode disrupts the flow of sap, causing the tree to turn brown and die.
Approximately 95 percent of the pines killed are Scotch pines, but Austrian pines are occasionally killed as well. Trees stressed by drought are slightly more susceptible to pine wilt, but it easily can kill healthy trees as well.
Trees infected with pine wilt die from the disease, so it is important to take steps to prevent its spread. The pine sawyer beetle is active from May through September, so if trees dying of pine wilt are discovered during the fall and winter, the deadline for safely removing and destroying them is the end of April.
Trees that die while the beetle is active should be removed within a month of the tree’s death. This will prevent the beetles from re-emerging and spreading the nematodes to new trees.
Once removed, trees should be disposed of by chipping, burning or burying to ensure beetles in the wood are killed. Chipped trees can safely be used as mulch in gardens or around trees, even pines. When around trees, though, the mulch should not rest against the tree’s trunk. Because mulch resting against a tree’s trunk can trap moisture and lead to decay and diseases, mulch should be kept several inches away from the trunk.
Research also shows a slight risk of pine wilt spreading through infected mulch that comes in contact with trunk wounds on Scotch pine, but keeping the mulch away from the tree’s trunk can help prevent this.
More information about pine wilt is available on the Nebraska Forest Service’s Web site at www.nfs.unl.edu.
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Typical symptoms of pine wilt dieback in pine. |
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11. Control of Muskrat Damage in Ponds
By Don Janssen, UNL Extension Educator
In the midwest, most muskrats live in streams. In spring or fall, some of the muskrats move. In their spring travels, they are hunting food and safe places to rear young; in fall, they are hunting food and safe winter quarters. These traveling muskrats usually stay in their summer locations until fall and in their winter homes until spring. They may stay in either location permanently if the food and denning facilities are good enough. When they travel they may go several miles, even across dry uplands, in their search for better places to live.
It is on these travels that muskrats find farm ponds and it is usually during spring that they locate in them. If the pond is large and contains abundant food, they may stay. But ponds seldom contain enough aquatic vegetation to hold muskrats past the fall season, especially if they can find better homes.
Pond muskrats dig burrows, and may also build homes of mud and vegetation in shallow water. It is the digging that most pond owners object to, especially when holes are dug into the dam. In digging and working around the shallows, muskrats stir up mud that may keep these areas or the whole pond cloudy. This is objectionable in a pond where clear water is wanted for swimming, livestock use, and fish production.
When muskrats dig into dams, it is to make homes. The burrows start under water, then rise to a chamber hollowed out above water level, with from one to two feet of solid earth and sod above. The muskrats don’t tunnel through the dam unless the water rises high enough to make them dig a new chamber, higher up. That is one reason for specifying high freeboard and a wide spillway: these keep the water from coming up high enough to force the muskrats to dig new higher chambers dangerously close to the surface. Also, one reason for keeping livestock off a pond area is to avoid the chance of putting a hoof through the roof of the den and starting a wash.
Old or abandoned muskrat dens may cave in. Then it is usually a simple job, if done at once, to fill in the cavity and reseed to prevent washing.
Since muskrats are especially attracted to ponds containing large amounts of muskrat food plants, eliminating these plants is good muskrat control. Plants most favored by muskrats are the starchy ones - cattail, arrowhead, and the like. These plants should never be planted in fish ponds anyway, because they interfere with fish production. Plant control is also good muskrat control.
If muskrats can’t find a better place, they will sometimes live in ponds even when food supply is limited. The only sure way to keep them out is by fencing the entire pond and spillway with fur-farm fence. This ordinarily is too expensive, and the only other recourse, if the animals are definitely a nuisance, is to remove them.
Trapping with pinch-type lethal traps is the most efficient way of removing muskrats. Various chemicals have been tried to keep muskrats out of ponds, or to drive them out. The same is true of other repellents. Still the most effective removal is by trapping.
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12. Is There A Hazard On Your Acreage?
By Sharry Nielsen, UNL Extension Educator
Longer days, nicer weather, outdoor fun, or maybe a list of tasks to be completed are calling many of us out of the house. It is so easy to just “head out”. But when was the last time you took a safety inventory of your acreage or small farm?
A health and safety inspection is something the whole family can be involved in. Not only can you find hazards – and take action to fix any problem – but it is also an excellent way to teach children safe and healthy situations.
With over 100 children’s lives lost each year in farm-related accidents, and countless more injuries sustained, creating a safe play area should be one of the first steps a family takes to ensure safety.
A safe play area is located away from traffic and farmstead hazards. It is designated by physical barriers like fences, gates, shrubs or trees. It has play equipment appropriate for the age of children who are using it. It can be supervised by adults constantly or intermittently, depending on the age and need of the children.
Some other ways to protect children and visitors to your acreage include:
- Secure hazardous areas like farm shops or livestock pens with locking doors or gates.
- Store chemicals and petroleum products in their original containers and in locked buildings or cabinets.
- Put equipment away after each use, whether a power tool or a hand rake.
- Keep ladders out of reach of children and stored away from the sides of buildings,
- Locate fire extinguishers in appropriate places and know how to use them.
- Set “off limits” boundaries for machinery or hazardous areas – and stick to it!
A “safety first” attitude will go a long way in preventing injuries on your acreage. As you take on new ventures or expand existing opportunities, think first how you can accomplish what you want to do in as safe a manner as possible. Children will learn by your example.
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