A Texas Well Owner Network training has been scheduled for Aug. 21 in Odessa.

The Well Educated training, which is free and open to the public, will be from 8 a.m.-noon at the Ector County Commissioner’s Court Room, 1010 E. 8th St.

Dr. Drew Gholson, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist and program coordinator, College Station, said the Texas Well Owner Network program is for Texas residents who depend on household wells for their water needs.

“The program was established to help well owners become familiar with Texas groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance and construction, and water quality and treatment,” he said. “It allows them to learn more about how to improve and protect their community water resources.”

He said participants may bring well-water samples to the training for screening at a cost of $10 per sample, due when samples are turned in.

“Water samples will be screened for nitrates, total dissolved solids and bacteria,” Gholson said.

Well owners who would like to have their well water sampled can pick up two sample containers from the AgriLife Extension office in Ector County, 1010 E. 8th St.

Gholson said bringing water samples to the training is not required, but those wanting to have water samples analyzed must attend.

Attendees can register at http://twon.tamu.edu/training or by calling 979-845-1461. 

“The training is one of several being conducted statewide through the Texas Well Owner Network project,” Gholson said. “The core content of this program is the same as other trainings, but the information is tailored to local water quality issues and aquifers.” 

Training will also be available in San Angelo, August 22, and in Carthage, September 25.

More than a million private water wells in Texas provide water to citizens in rural areas and increasingly to those living on small acreages at the growing rural-urban interface. Private well owners are independently responsible for monitoring the quality of their wells.

“They are responsible for all aspects of ensuring their drinking water system is safe – testing, inspecting, maintaining it,” Gholson said. “This training will help private well owners to understand and care for their wells.”

Funding for the network is through a Clean Water Act nonpoint source grant provided by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The project is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute, part of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, AgriLife Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University.

Source: AgriLife Today