North Mississippi homeowners with private wells will have two opportunities this week to learn how to improve the functionality of their drinking water sources. Private well owners can get their water screened for bacteria and can attend a Lowndes County workshop to learn how to better manage, operate and protect their private wells.
The Mississippi Well Owner Network, a program of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Lowndes County Farm Bureau Insurance office on 101 Main St. in Columbus.
Well owners may pick up a sample bottle and collection instructions Monday at the MSU Extension office at 318 Seventh St. N. in Columbus. The private well screening costs $25 per sample analysis. Samples must be taken within 12 hours of the drop-off and will need to be dropped off at the MSU Extension office Tuesday between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Screening results will be mailed to the well owner along with a publication explaining how to interpret the results.
Workshop participants may bring their water sample when they arrive for the workshop. Attendance is not required to have water screened. A water screening is not required to attend.
“The workshop is intended to help Mississippi private well owners understand groundwater basics, best practices for well care and how to find assistance,” said Jason R. Barrett, an assistant Extension professor with the MSU Extension Center for Government and Community Development. “The program will also teach well owners about their private wells, how to sample them, how to interpret sample results, and what they can do to protect their well and its source water from contamination.”
Joining Barrett in presenting the workshop will be Steve Wilson, a ground water hydrologist with the Illinois State Water Survey.
“The majority of Mississippians get their water from municipal supplies or rural water associations, but there are thousands of homes in rural areas that depend on private wells,” Barrett said. “In fact, an average of 10 percent of households in Mississippi rely on private wells. In four counties, approximately 40 percent of homes have private wells.”
How to register
Information about the workshop and registration is available at gcd.msstate.com/register. At the registration page, look for the event title Mississippi Well Owner Network Program. Preregistration is encouraged. Call 662-325-3141 or 662-328-2111 for more information.
Get additional information on private wells in Mississippi at msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2775.pdf.
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