Why should you test your CT water for pesticides?
When pesticides are sprayed on lawns, golf courses, parks, crops, etc throughout Connecticut, they wash or filter into private wells, aquifers, and groundwater used by humans and animals alike. Pesticides could easily migrate from field to surface waters or to underground aquifers.
Although well water must be tested when a home is sold in CT, pesticide testing is not required due to the additional cost. Chronic health problems can occur due to long term exposure to a relatively low concentration
Atrazine, a herbicide that has been found in many wells in the midwest, is of concern for chronic toxicity due to its potential to cause cancer in humans.
Pesticides are more likely to be a problem if your well is shallow, has less than 15 feet of casing below the water table, or is located in sandy soil and is downslope from irrigated lands such as farms or golf courses where pesticides are. You should also test your CT water if:
- Someone in your household is pregnant or nursing.
- An unexplained illnesses has occurred in the family.
- A dangerous contaminant was found in your neighbor’s well.
- The water’s taste, odor, color, or clarity changes.
- You have a spill of chemicals or fuel into or near your well.
To help keep your well safe, when landscaping, keep the top of the well at least one foot above the ground surface. Make sure that the well cap is undamaged and securely attached to the well casing, and that any connections to the well stay watertight. In addition, keep hazardous chemicals like paint, fertilizer, pesticides, fuels, and motor oil away from your well.
To have your well water tested for pesticides call today 888-558-1574. “Near me, in my area, in CT?” Yes!
