Water Test Flyer

What’s in YOUR water?

Dates: Deadline to sign up for water sampling - June 26

Pick up & pay for sampling bottles - July 1Take water samples - July 8

Return sampling bottles - July 8 Bottle sample pick-up and drop-off will be at the

Knights of Col

University of Wisconsin - Stevens PointCenter for Watershed Science & Education

are offering Town of Sturgeon Bay residentsthe opportunity to have their water tested

Results are Confidential

for more information and/or sign up

Complete PackageDACTMetals Package

Homeowners Package

& the Door County Environmental Council

Options:

Deadline to sign up for water sampling - Deadline to sign up for water sampling - Deadline to sign up for water sampling - Dates:

June 26Deadline to sign up for water sampling - June 26

Knights of Col

Pick up & pay for sampling bottles - Deadline to sign up for water sampling -

Knights of ColBottle sample pick-up and dr

n sampling bottles - Returake TTake water samples -

Pick up & pay for sampling bottles - Deadline to sign up for water sampling -

op-o pick-up and dr rop-off will be at the July 8 n sampling bottles -

July 8ake water samples - July 1Pick up & pay for sampling bottles -

Deadline to sign up for water sampling -

op-off will be at the

July 8July 1

June 26Deadline to sign up for water sampling - June 26

Tests must be paid for July 1 when you pick up your sampling bottle(s). OR you maymail in a check and this form before the pick-up date.

Name(s)

Address

City State ____ ZIP _____________

Phone # ___________________________________________________________

Email

Please make check payable to: Town of Sturgeon BayMail check and this form to:

ToSB • 2912 Lake Forest Park Road • Sturgeon Bay • WI • 54235or bring check/cash and form to the KofC building (692 Tacoma Beach Road) onJuly 1 from 4 PM to 6 PM.

❏ DACT* – $27❏ Metals – $42 ❏ Homeowners – $49❏Combined – $110

❏ Check is enclosed payable to Town of Sturgeon Bay

❏ Will bring check/cash to bottle pick-up on July 1 from 4 PM to 6 PM

See reverse side for details of various package choices. For more information call: Carol Schuster at 743-8138

Drinking Water Testing Programs (DWPs)

• This is a service that your Town Board is offering in conjunction with University ofWisconsin Stevens Point and the Door County Environmental Council.

• Testing of your water is NOT mandatory.• Because water quality is variable and can change over time, one test taken at thetime a well is constructed is not adequate to tell you what water quality will be likefor the entire lifespan of the well. There are literally dozens of tests that could beperformed on a well.

• The community organized Drinking Water Testing Programs (DWPs) offers varioustest packages that address the most common well water quality problems. Bacteriaand nitrate are tests that should be performed on a regular basis, many wells arelong overdue for a bacteria and/or nitrate test. And, unless the well owner hastaken the initiative to have the well tested for nitrate and other common concernssuch as arsenic, copper or lead, they likely will not know if their well water con-tains these elements at concentrations of concern to health.

• Sevastopol Township and Jacksonport Township are also offering this service.

Diaminochlorotriazine

How do I know which test(s) to perform? Homeowner Package ($49) All wells:This is the basic package, perform this set of tests if you are unsure of which tests to performThis package includes the two most important tests to perform regularly on a well (bacteria andnitrate)

Total Coliform Bacteria* Tests if your well is producing bacteriologically free water. This is themost important test to perform regularly on a private water supply.

Nitrate-Nitrogen* Nitrate is the most common chemical contaminant in Wisconsin ground-water. Sources of nitrate include fertilizers, septic systems or manure andbio-solid applications. This test serves as an indicator of land-use impactsand may indicate the presence of other contaminants such as pesticides.

pH Measures the relative acidity of water. Useful in assessing the corrosivityof water to plumbing.

Alkalinity Amount of bicarbonate (acid neutralizing capacity). This test is relatedto pH and important for determining the corrosivity index.

Total Hardness Measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium. Important for watersoftening considerations.

Chloride Another indicator of overall water quality and land-use impacts. If ele-vated indicates contamination from septic systems, fertilizers, or roadsalts.

Conductivity Measure of total dissolved minerals in water. Changes in conductivityover time may be indicative of contamination from surrounding land-useactivities.

Corrosivity Index This is a calculation to determine whether your water will form scale orbe corrosive.

* Test important to health

Metals ($42)Consider this test package if:You have never had your well tested for arsenicYou are experiencing problems with stainingPrevious tests indicated the presence of arsenicYour plumbing system has components that contain copper or lead

Arsenic* Occurs naturally in Wisconsin's groundwater. Recommend every welltest for arsenic at least once to determine if it’s in your water.

Lead* Found in water systems with brass fixtures, lead pipes or lead solder(prior to 1985), especially water systems with soft or corrosive water.Amounts are usually lower after water is allowed to run for several min-utes.

Copper* Only a concern if you have copper plumbing. Can be found in toxic con-centrations when naturally soft or corrosive water sits in contact withcopper plumbing for extended periods of time. If using for drinkingwater simply run your faucet for two minutes first thing in the morning

and after being gone more than six hours to flush water that has beenstanding in pipes.

Iron Naturally occurring mineral that causes taste problems and staining ofhousehold fixtures (orange-brown) and laundry.

Manganese* Health concerns if found in high concentrations. Also causes aestheticproblems such as staining (black-brown) of household fixtures or forma-tion of black precipitates (specks) in water.

Zinc* Found in water systems that contain zinc in the plumbing system (ex. gal-vanized pipes). More likely to be elevated in water system with naturallysoft or corrosive water. Can occur naturally in parts of the state.

Calcium Naturally occurring in Wisconsin groundwater. Particularly high in areaswhere wells extend into limestone or dolomite aquifers. Causes hardwater problems.

Magnesium Naturally occurring in Wisconsin groundwater. Particularly high in areaswhere wells extend into limestone or dolomite aquifers. Causes hardwater problems.

Sodium* Sodium is associated with increased blood pressure in certain individu-als. Generally found at low levels in groundwater. Elevated levels mayindicate impacts from road salt or septic systems. If test indicates highlevels of sodium and near absent levels of calcium and magnesium, itmore than likely indicates that the water sample is from water that haspassed through a water softener.

Potassium Elevated levels may indicate impacts from animal waste or fertilizer.May also be found at elevated levels if homeowner is using potassiumchloride in their water softener.

Sulfate* Naturally occurring in some parts of Wisconsin. High concentrationsmay give water an off taste and cause a laxative effect in humans. Atextremely high levels may affect milk production in cows.

*Test important to health

DACT Screen ($27)Consider this package if:Your well is within 1/4 mile of agricultural fields where corn has been grownPrevious tests indicated elevated levels of nitrate likely caused by agricultural fertilizers

DACT* Screen This is a test that detects agricultural chemicals called triazines. Triazines are aclass of herbicides that include atrazine, simazine and cyanazine. The DACTscreen is an approximate test that is performed as an inexpensive alternative toa more detailed test. It is a useful first step in determining whether your wateris being impacted by pesticides and below health-based standards for triazinetype herbicides.

*Diaminochlorotriazine

For more information on UW-Stevens Point Center for Watershed Science & Education(http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/watershed/Pages/default.aspx)Information on DCEDC (Door County Environmental Council):(http://dcec-wi.org/)