The Health District goal in the Private Water System (PWS) program is to ensure that residents utilizing a private water system with have safe (potable) drinking water. The Board of Health is responsible to enforce the Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-28 that governs the construction, inspection, installation, development, maintenance and sealing (abandonment) of private water systems. Private water systems service homes and certain non-residential supplies and can consist of a well, cistern, spring, pond or hauled water tanks or a combination of such supplies. Water supplies require routine maintenance and should be sampled at least once a year and analyzed for total coliform bacteria.
Access the Ohio Private Water System Rules:
Instructions for Private Water System Application & Permitting
Private Water System Permit forms
Registered Ohio Private Water System Contractors
Information on Bacteriological Water Analysis
Total coliform bacteria are “indicator” organisms whose presence at certain levels indicates the potential presence of disease causing organisms. Total coliform bacteria are not normally harmful by themselves to healthy individuals. Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria are found in the intestines of humans and animals therefore the presence of E. coli indicates fecal contamination of the water. Water with fecal contamination should not be consumed until the water supply has been properly disinfected and a resample result is zero for E. coli. The presence or absence of total coliform or E. coli does not indicate the chemical quality of the water. The Maximum Contaminant Level (standard) for a PWS without continuous disinfection is 4 or less total coliform and zero E. coli organisms per 100 ml. of water. The Maximum Contaminant Level (standard) for a PWS that requires continuous disinfection and/or filtration is zero total coliform and zero E. coli organisms per 100 ml. of water.
Private Water System Water Sample Request Form
Procedures for Chlorination of Your Well
Ground Water Resources in Lake County
The amount of water that a well can produce depends on the local geology of the area, the amount of recharge to the aquifer, the design of the well and to a lesser extent the proximity of neighboring wells. According to the National Water Well Association a low yield well is one that cannot maintain a discharge rate of five gallons per minute (GPM) for extended periods of time. Lake County is a poor county for ground water production. Much of the county is underlain with shale bedrock. A shale bedrock aquifer is very dense and generally produces small quantities of water. This water is typically highly mineralized, containing significant concentrations of calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron and often times sulfates. Water treatment devices are usually necessary to remove these minerals.
These devices usually require water for maintenance of the equipment. The quantity of water required depends on the type of equipment, the severity of the water problem and the quantity of water used daily. A conventional water softener requires 100 to 300 gallons of water during regeneration. It is very important to include the amount of water needed for water treatment maintenance when considering water storage needs. It is important to note that a water well usually produces less water over time and use. When designing storage capacity it is important to consider the yield of the well over time.
The following links provide general information on the common water quality problems in well water and maintenance:
Information on Water Quality Basics
Where to find the well log for your well
Hydrogen Sulfide (rotten egg odor in a water)
Nitrates/Nitrites in well water
For Information Concerning Oil & Gas Well Drilling (can it affect a water well)
Ohio Department of Health Gas Well Drilling Information
Ohio Department of Health Private Water System Resources
Well Sampling Before Drilling for Oil & Gas Fact Sheet
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Ground Water Awareness Week March 11-17, 2012
Much
of the water we use comes from the ground. Learn more about ground
water, the threats to its safety and how to protect your own ground
water sources during Ground Water Awareness Week.
Clean water is one of the world's most precious
resources. People use water every day for a variety of reasons,
such as drinking, bathing, recreation, agriculture, cooling, and
industry. Although water plays an essential role in every person's
life, many individuals are not aware that much of their water comes
from the ground.
National Ground Water Awareness Week, an annual observance
sponsored by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), is March
11–17, 2012. The purpose of this observance is to stress how
important ground water is to the health of all people and the
environment (1).
Ground Water Contamination
Ground water is water
that is located below the surface of the earth in spaces between
rock and soil. Ground water supplies water to wells and springs and
is a substantial source of water used in the United States. Thirty
percent of all available freshwater comes from ground water (2), which supplies a significant amount of
water to community water systems and private wells (3).
Protecting ground water sources from contamination is an
important priority for countries throughout the world, including
the United States. Most of the time, ground water sources in the
United States are safe to use and not a cause for worry. However,
ground water sources can become contaminated with bacteria,
viruses, parasites, and chemicals that can lead to sickness and
disease.
Ground water contaminants sometimes occur naturally in the
environment (for example, arsenic and radon), but are more often
the result of human activities. These activities include incorrect
use of fertilizers and pesticides; poorly sited, constructed or
maintained septic systems; improper disposal or storage of wastes;
and chemical spills at industrial sites (4). From 1971 to 2006, 54% of reported
drinking water outbreaks were due to the use of untreated ground
water (31%) or ground water treatment deficiencies (23%). The most
common pathogens identified in ground water outbreaks during this
period included Shigella spp., hepatitis A virus,
norovirus, Giardiaintestinalis, Campylobacter
spp, and Salmonella spp (5).
The
presence of pathogens and chemicals in our drinking water can lead
to health problems, including gastrointestinal illness,
reproductive problems, and neurological disorders (6). Infants, young children, pregnant women,
the elderly, and people whose immune systems are compromised
because of AIDS, chemotherapy, or transplant medications may be
especially susceptible to illness from certain contaminants.
Concerns for ground water contaminants have led the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and individual states to
develop new regulations to protect ground water in public water
systems (the Ground Water Rule).
Is your household in either of these categories?
Are you among the almost 90 million Americans who get their tap
water from a community water system that uses ground water?
Seventy-eight percent of public water systems in
the United States use ground water as their primary source,
supplying drinking water to 30% of community water system users, or
almost 90 million Americans (7). The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets maximum concentration
levels for many water pollutants and regulates drinking water
quality in public water systems, including community water systems.
You can find out more about your local drinking water quality and
possible contaminants by viewing your consumer confidence report (CCR), which every
utility company is required to provide to its customers.
More information on EPA's National Primary Drinking
Water Regulations [PDF - 924KB]
More
information on community water systems
Are you among the 15 million American households who have their
own private wells?
An estimated 15 million American
households get their water from private ground water wells, which
are not subject to EPA regulations (8).
Private ground water wells can provide safe, clean water. However,
well water may be or become contaminated, leading to illness.
It is the responsibility of the well owner to maintain their
well, in order to ensure their water is safe from harmful
contaminants (9). State and local health departments have
resources available to help homeowners protect groundwater.
More information on well maintenance
More Information
References:
- National Ground Water Association. National Ground
Water Awareness Week: March 11–17, 2012.
- USGS. Earth's Water Distribution. Updated December,
2011.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Public
Drinking Water Systems: Facts and Figures. Updated December,
2011.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Drinking
Water from Household Wells; 2002 [PDF - 1.61MB].
- Craun GF, Brunkard JM, Yoder JS, Roberts VA,
Carpenter J, Wade T, Calderon RL, Roberts JM, Beach MJ, Roy SL,
Causes of outbreaks associated with drinking water in the United
States from 1971 to 2006. Clin Microbiol Rev
2010;23:507-28.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Drinking
Water Contaminants: List of Contaminants and Their Maximum
Contaminant Level (MCLs). Updated January 2012.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. FACTIODS:
Drinking Water and Ground Water Statistics for 2009, Office of
Water, Printed in 2009 [PDF - 115KB].
- US Census Bureau. Current Housing Reports, Series
H150/09, American Housing Survey for the United States: 2009, U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC: 20401. Printed in 2011
[PDF - 5.776.82MB].
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Private
Drinking Water Wells: What You Can Do. Updated October,
2011.
CDC works 24/7 saving lives, protecting
people from health threats, and saving money to have a more secure
nation. A US federal agency, CDC helps make the healthy choice the
easy choice by putting science and prevention into action. CDC
works to help people live longer, healthier and more productive
lives.