Grey Bruce Public Health is reminding residents who use well water to get their water tested now that winter is over.
Senior Public Health Manager Andrew Barton says that although we haven’t seen much snow over the winter months, it’s still a good idea to get testing done after the thaw.
“It’s been an unusual winter, but we don’t know what that is going to do in terms of well water quality so we definitely advise people still to test.”
The water testing is completed by Public Health Ontario, and residents can get a sample bottle from 14 different locations across Grey and Bruce Counties, where they can then drop their sample off for testing.
“They look for total coliform and e. coli,” says Barton. “Those are the two standard indicator organisms they use to ensure that drinking water quality is good.”
He says that in the event someone lives in a place that is serviced by well water, testing at any three times per year is better than not at all.
“What we’re trying to do is guess when the well is most likely going to be impacted by environmental conditions. Spring is definitely one of those times. Fall can be as well, [or] end of summer if it’s been a dry summer. And it’s a good idea to have that third test either in the middle of winter or middle of summer periodically just to try and get those different groundwater and surface water conditions.”