Private Well Contamination: E. coli and Total Coliform in Nampa, ID
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by the Pacific Northwest Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation through the National Science Foundation under Award No. HRD-1410465. The project described was also supported by Southwest District Health.
Abstract
E. coli is a subgroup of the fecal coliform group. Most E. coli bacteria are harmless and exist in the intestines of people and warm-blooded animals. Coliform bacteria are also part of a broad group of bacteria found in soil, water and vegetation. Some strains can cause illness and can indicate that disease-causing organisms may be present. In response to a concerned community member, who received a positive test of E. coli, Southwest District Health (SWDH) collected ground water samples from homes in Canyon County during this past spring. This is in the area that was determined to be a concern in 2016 after several wells tested positive for E. coli that was caused by human waste. 22 samples were collected from 19 private wells and tested for E coli/ total coliform off E. Locust Lane in Nampa, Idaho. Six wells were positive for total coliform but absent for E. coli. Six samples were collected for ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite testing. Twenty-seven percent of wells showed evidence of contamination. These results highlight the importance of testing your well regularly for contaminants as there are no regulations for water quality testing in private wells.
Private Well Contamination: E. coli and Total Coliform in Nampa, ID
E. coli is a subgroup of the fecal coliform group. Most E. coli bacteria are harmless and exist in the intestines of people and warm-blooded animals. Coliform bacteria are also part of a broad group of bacteria found in soil, water and vegetation. Some strains can cause illness and can indicate that disease-causing organisms may be present. In response to a concerned community member, who received a positive test of E. coli, Southwest District Health (SWDH) collected ground water samples from homes in Canyon County during this past spring. This is in the area that was determined to be a concern in 2016 after several wells tested positive for E. coli that was caused by human waste. 22 samples were collected from 19 private wells and tested for E coli/ total coliform off E. Locust Lane in Nampa, Idaho. Six wells were positive for total coliform but absent for E. coli. Six samples were collected for ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite testing. Twenty-seven percent of wells showed evidence of contamination. These results highlight the importance of testing your well regularly for contaminants as there are no regulations for water quality testing in private wells.
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