PCSWCD to hold drinking water education presentation May 7
DOVER-FOXCROFT — How many camps and homes in Piscataquis County have well water? Whether hand dug, drilled, spring or lake, the potential for contaminants is high here with arsenic being one of the most concerning for those drawing water from a well. However this presentation should be of interest to everyone who would like to know more about drinking water.
At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 7 the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District will host A & L Laboratories and speakers Matt Demers, superintendent of the Dover & Foxcroft Water District and Tom Demaso of Norlens Water LLC, a water filtration company, for a presentation on drinking water at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building.
Lately there has been a great deal of discussion in the news and legislature about arsenic and lead in drinking water. This event is an informational session where the importance of testing well water, what the common contaminants of well water are and how to properly collect a sample. At this meeting A & L will distribute test kits and sampling instructions. Everyone in attendance would receive the test kit along with a coupon for a discount on any drinking water analysis. Coupons could also be made available to residents and camp owners that are unable to attend. There will be a Q&A session where individuals will have an opportunity to ask questions of the panel. Besides the test kits and coupon, participants would also be able to speak with Norlens Water about filtration systems that they have available.
The need for education and outreach on well water contaminants in Maine is great. According to the Maine CDC approximately one in 10 wells in Maine has water that is high in arsenic and less than half of Maine residents on wells have tested their water. If you would like to find out about the occurrence of arsenic and other contaminants in your area you can visit the Maine Tracking Network (go to the Private Well Water link) This site provides maps and charts based off of actual data that will show the percentage of wells in your area with high levels of contaminants.
The drinking water education presentation will be held at the town office 48 Morton Avenue. For more information, please contact the Piscataquis County Soil and Water Conservation District by calling 564-2321 ext. 3, by emailing us at info@piscataquisswcd.org or by stopping in our office in the USDA Service Center at 42 Engdahl Drive in Dover-Foxcroft. Test kits are always available in our office as well.
Come join us for information on well water testing and for you and your family’s health.