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An image of a sign showing people the location to drop off samples of their well water for testing by local public health.

A sign for dropping off water samples at Water Wise well testing event.

 

Water Wise events strive to make water testing easier for private well owners


Service clubs, residents, local public health and source water protection promote well water sampling at events


Only about three per cent of residential private wells in this area have had water tested recently. Do you know if your well water is safe? 

When water sampling of private wells is made easier, more people will do it. That’s the idea behind the ‘Water Wise’ events happening in some villages, hamlets and shoreline communities in the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region.

Residents and service clubs are distributing water sample bottles directly to residents’ doors, giving bottles to neighbours, providing local pickup locations or having the sampling bottles available at their meetings. 

Learn more: Watch the video now: When residents drop off their water samples at the ‘Water Wise’ events, their water samples are kept chilled overnight and delivered to Huron Perth Public Health the next morning for delivery to the lab in London. It’s very convenient, according to event organizers. People attending the events also learn how to protect their private wells and maintain their septic systems. 

“Working with a local group to champion the ‘Water Wise’ water sampling events is key,” said Matt Pearson, Chair of the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Committee.

The events provide opportunities to educate about well and septic system maintenance and protection and to encourage people to 'Test, Protect and Maintain':
  • Test your well water.
  • Protect your well.
  • Maintain your well and septic system.
The first event was held along the Lake Huron shoreline in August. It was hosted by Beth Ross and John Thompson. Beth Ross is the Mid-Huron Beach representative on the Ashfield-Colborne Lakefront Association. The commitment to the event, by these local event hosts, included delivering more than 90 water sampling bottles, several days before the event, directly to residents’ doors. They delivered the water sampling bottles to cottages on three lakeside communities: Cedar Grove, Maple Grove, and Mid-Huron Beach.

There were 30 water samples brought to the first event. This represents about one third of the people who received bottles. Some of those tests were for communal wells shared by multiple people.

The event organizers delivered the water samples to local public health for testing.

The Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh also took part in the first Water Wise event and provided information about maintenance of septic systems to protect well water.
Lions Logo

Goderich Lions members learn about importance of well water testing

Sampling private well water is an important part of ensuring your family, friends and neighbours are safe. 

At the Goderich Lions Club meeting in September, 70 members heard information about the importance of protecting water in private wells. Those who were well owners were encouraged to take home sample bottles for themselves and their neighbours to be returned the following meeting.
 

Dublin Lions Club to host water sampling event on October 17, 2023

The Dublin Lions are hosting a water sampling event at their Pavilion at the Dublin Community Centre on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. At the event you can pick up a sample bottle. You can then go home, take a sample of your well water, and then return it back to the pavilion. Information will be available on protecting your well and maintaining septic systems.

Event organizers will deliver your sample bottle to Huron Perth Public Health, the next morning, for testing. This is a free service. 
 

Monkton Lions Club to host water sampling event on Wednesday, October 25, 2023

The Monkton Lions are hosting a water sampling event at the Monkton Community Centre on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

You may pick up a water sample bottle at these locations: T & J Variety; Wietersen's Country Store; New Monkton Diner; and the Monkton Library. Take your water sample the night of the event on October 25. 

Return your sample bottle (with sampled water from your well), and your filled-out form, to the Monkton Community Centre at the event date and time. Information on protecting your well and maintaining your septic system will be available. Organizers will deliver your well water sample bottle, the next morning, to Huron Perth Public Health. This is a free service. 
 

New well water testing event video


A new video about the first ‘Water Wise’ well water testing and public information event in August is on YouTube.

To learn more, visit the local drinking water source protection best practices web page.

The region is sharing about the Water Wise well sampling and testing events on social media with #TestProtectMaintain and #BestPractices and #WellWise and #WaterWise hashtags.
"I would like to thank all of the people and groups who are helping to make these events possible and encouraging people to sample their well water as one of the first actions in protecting private sources of water." 
– Matt Pearson, Chair,
Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Committee

New well water testing event video

A new video about the first ‘Water Wise’ well water testing and public information event, held in August 2023, is on YouTube. Watch the video now by clicking the image above or by clicking this watch the Water Wise video link.
A photo of Doug Hocking.

Source protection committee member Doug Hocking provides tips, on protecting the water in your well, in a new video.

 

Your Well, Your Responsibility video provides private well owners with tips to protect their water


Owners of private wells are responsible for protecting their drinking water source to keep their families, friends, guests, and neighbours safe. Whether you have a drilled, shallow or shared well, a new video offers “practical and easy-to-implement” ideas to protect your well water.

The Your Well, Your Responsibility video is hosted by Doug Hocking, property owner representative on the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Committee (SPC).

Learn more: Watch the video now: Before retirement, Doug worked for more than 30 years in water quality stewardship at Maitland Valley and Ausable Bayfield conservation authorities. In his career, he worked in close partnership with many property owners including agricultural producers, shoreline residents, and other urban and rural landowners. 

The new Your Well, Your Responsibility video includes the idea of creating a protection zone, around your private well, of at least 15 metres. (Municipal wells have a 100-metre wellhead protection area around them). Well owners are encouraged to look at anything in that area that could contaminate their water if located too close to the well. This could include animal waste, composters, faulty septic systems, or brush piles – among others.

The video also discusses “simple and economical” ideas for containing fuel, chemicals or paint so that they don’t accidentally spill and leak into the ground. There is information on water sampling and testing, where to get well records, and well and septic system maintenance.

Matt Pearson is the local SPC Chair. “Our committee is promoting best practices, for private wells, through public education like this video,” he said. “We are also organizing community Water Wise water sampling events, hosted by local service groups and residents, to encourage positive action by well owners to protect their water.” 

Unlike residents on municipal water services, where water is tested and monitored daily, private well owners are responsible for ensuring their own drinking water quality.

The Your Well, Your Responsibility video is the eleventh in a series of videos featuring SPC members on a wide range of water topics. The series includes behind-the-scene tours of water facilities. The 11 videos have received more than 28,000 views on YouTube and Facebook.

“Whether you have lived here all your life, or you are new to our area, the videos provide interesting and helpful information,” according to the SPC Chair.

The new Your Well, Your Responsibility video is available on YouTube and on the videos web page of the local source protection region website.

To learn more, visit the local drinking water source protection best practices web page.
#BestPractices #WaterWise #WellWise

Here are ways to keep your well water safe and clean

If you have a private well, you must maintain it to ensure the drinking water is clean for your family, neighbours and guests (and, in the case of a shared of communal system, other well users). In this video, Doug Hocking, property owner representative on the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Committee, gives you some helpful tips on how to keep your well water clean. Watch the video now by clicking image above or clicking this link: Your Well, Your Responsibility – Tips to keep your well water safe and clean video.
Copyright © 2023 Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Region c/o ABCA, All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 2023 Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Region c/o ABCA, All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 2023 Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Region c/o ABCA, All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 2023 Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Drinking Water Source Protection Region c/o ABCA, All rights reserved.


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