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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 27 March 2019
Flooding poses potential risk for 1 million private wells

By JIM SALTER for Disease Control and be vulnerable to contami-
Associated Press Prevention. Infants, young nation," Lehmann said.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — More children, pregnant women, Drinking water comes from
than 1 million private wells elderly people, and people a variety of sources. Some
that supply drinking wa- with compromised immune public water supplies use
ter in mostly rural parts of systems are particularly vul- rivers, streams, lakes or oth-
the Midwest could face nerable. er bodies of water. Others
the risk of contamination The National Ground Wa- use water from the ground.
from floodwater, posing a ter Association, a trade Either way, public water
health concern that could group for the industry that supplies are government-
linger long after the flood- includes well systems, said regulated and have safe-
ing subsides. there are 1.1 million private guards to protect against
Major flooding along the wells in 300 flooded coun- contamination.
Missouri and Mississippi rivers ties in 10 states: Iowa, Ne- But the federal government
and several smaller water- braska, Missouri, Kansas, estimates that about 15 mil-
ways has inundated states Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, lion U.S. households — most This Wednesday, March 20, 2019 aerial photo shows flooding
in the middle of America, Minnesota, South Dakota often in rural areas that near the Platte River in in Plattsmouth, Neb., south of Omaha.
from the Canadian border and Kentucky. don't have access to pub- Associated Press
south to Kentucky. The Na- Stagnant water could lin- lic drinking water systems
tional Weather Service has ger for days or even weeks — rely on private wells. Lehmann said well owners ciation. Lehmann said that
warned that with snowmelt even as flooding starts to Those wells are not typically who see floodwater near because the presence of
in northern states only be- subside in hard-hit areas, regulated by the Environ- or over their wells should so much water poses an
ginning, the threat of addi- raising the risk that some of mental Protection Agency, assume the drinking water electrocution risk, well own-
tional flooding persists well it will get into wells by flood- so it's up to the well owner supply is contaminated. ers should hire professionals
into spring. ing over the top, seeping to make sure the water is She encouraged them to to do the work.
The high water and swift through cracks or as a re- clean. watch for any change in Once the well is disinfect-
current carries raw sewage sult of other flaws in the well Owners of private wells the color, smell or taste of ed, water should be tested
from overburdened treat- structure. use a variety of methods their water, and to consider to make sure it's safe, Job
ment plants, animal waste Liesa Lehmann, private- to remove contaminants, alternatives such as bottled said. At least one state is of-
and pesticides from farm water section chief for the including filtration systems, water. fering free well-water test-
fields, and spilled fuel. Wisconsin Department of water softeners, distillation Once flooding recedes, re- ing in flooded areas. Mis-
"Whatever was on the land Natural Resources, said systems that boil out the maining well water should souri property owners seek-
is in the water now," said her state has an estimated impurities, and disinfec- be pumped out and the ing free testing must obtain
Steve May, assistant chief 700,000 to 800,000 private tants such as chlorine. But if well should be disinfected, collection kits from the Mis-
of the Missouri Bureau of wells. The National Ground floodwater gets into a well, said Chuck Job, regulatory souri State Public Health
Environmental Epidemiol- Water Association said the those efforts may not be affairs manager for the Na- Laboratory and submit
ogy. current flood poses a risk to enough. tional Ground Water Asso- samples using those kits.q
Contaminated water can more than 280,000 Wiscon-
carry bacteria such as E. sin wells, the most in any
coli that can cause gas- state.
trointestinal illness, repro- "Anyone who has a private
ductive problems and well within a flood plain
neurological disorders, area of a major river, those
according to the Centers wells are certainly going to

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