1. Testing New Wells for Coliform Bacteria HELPING ENSURE DRINKING WATER SAFETY

2. Ensure Safety of Drinking Water Maintain Consumer Confidence in Groundwater Why Test Well Water for Coliform Bacteria?

3. Waterborne Pathogen Exposure Routes INGESTION FOOD DERMAL CONTACT AEROSOL INHALATION

4. What are Coliform Bacteria? AEROBIC AND FACULTATIVE ANAEROBIC GRAM-NEGATIVE NONSPORE-FORMING ROD-SHAPED FERMENTS LACTOSE WITH GAS PRODUCTION WITHIN 48 HOURS @ 35 DEGREES CELSIUS MEMBRANE FILTER ANALYSIS

5. Coliform Bacteria are Indicator Organisms Positive coliform test indicates potential presence of pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes Testing for pathogens requires large volumes of water and complex lab procedures Coliforms are found in greater numbers than pathogens E.coli bacteria live longer than fecal coliforms Coliform testing is easier, more economical and safer than pathogen testing.

6. TOTAL COLIFORMS FECAL COLIFORMS E. COLI PATHOGENIC E. COLI

7. Sources of Coliform Bacteria INTESTINES OF WARM-BLOODED ANIMALS SURFACE WATER & FLOODWATER ON-SITE SEWAGE SYSTEMS & SEWERLINE LEAKS AGRICULTURAL WASTE RUNOFF SOIL & VEGETATION GROUNDWATER

8. Etiologies of Waterborne Illness Outbreaks (1991 – 2002) ACUTE GASTROINTESTINAL ILLNESS (AGI), UNIDENTIFIED 38% CHEMICAL POISONING 16% GIARDIASIS 12% CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS 7% AGI – NOROVIRUS 6% AGI – E. COLI 0157:H7 5% SHIGELLOSIS 4% OTHER DISEASES 6% CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS 3% LEGIONELLA 3%

9. Burden of Illness Pyramid (From: Journal of Water and Health, Estimating Disease Risks Associated With Drinking Water Microbial Exposures, Vol. 4, Supplement 2, 2006) Person is exposed to pathogen in water and becomes infected Persons who exhibit symptoms Persons who visit physician or health care facility Persons who are hospitalized Deaths

10. WATERBORNE PATHOGENS E. coli Cryptosporidium Symptomatic Host ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS SYMPTOMS: STOMACH CRAMPS DIARRHEA VOMITINGFEVER NAUSEA

11. E. coli Cryptosporidium WATERBORNE PATHOGENS Asymptomatic Host Secondary Host FECAL TO ORAL TRANSFER OF PATHOGEN

12. MICHIGAN GROUNDWATER IS GENERALLY FREE OF: COLIFORM BACTERIA DISEASE-CAUSING MICROBES Exceptions: Shallow carbonate bedrock (Karst) Very shallow coarse sand & gravel Faulty well construction Unplugged abandoned wells

13. Unsealed, Abandoned Well Causes Bacteria Problems for Noncommunity Public Water-Supply Well Reported by Minnesota Dept. of Health, Minnesota Well Management News Fall 2006 / Winter 2007, Volume 26, No. 2 PERSISTENT COLIFORMS IN NCPWS (>2 YRS.) (24 YR. OLD WELL - 57 FT. DEEP - 4 IN. CASING) REPEAT WELL DISINFECTIONS UNSUCCESSFUL INVESTIGATION OF FACILITY HISTORY FOLLOWED BY METAL DETECTOR SEARCH BY MDH - ABANDONED WELL WITHIN 10 FT. OF ACTIVE WELL IS SUSPECTED EXCAVATION FINDS OLD WELL UNCAPPED 7 FT. BELOW GRADE, 10 FT FROM ACTIVE WELL - UNSEALED – SAND & DEBRIS FROM 35 FT. TO BOTTOM OF 60 FT. WELL STATIC WATER LEVEL SAME AS ACTIVE WELL – HYDRAULIC CONNECTION BETWEEN WELLS AFTER OLD WELL PROPERLY PLUGGED – CONSISTENT NEGATIVE COLIFORM BACTERIA SAMPLES

14. Potential Sources of Microbial Contamination from Well Drilling Practices OBTAINING DRILLING WATER FROM SURFACE WATER SOURCE USING BIODEGRADABLE DRILLING FLUID OR LOST CIRCULATION ADDITIVES IRON BACTERIA IN SURFACE WATER

15. Introducing Contaminants During Well Construction FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM 10 PPM CHLORINE RESIDUAL IN DRILLING WATER TRANSFERRING CONTAMINANTS FROM GROUND SURFACE INTO WELL BOREHOLE ENCOURAGE DRILLERS TO USE TEST STRIPS

16. DOWNWARD LEAKAGE AROUND UNGROUTED CASING UNCONFINED AQUIFER STATIC WATER LEVEL DOWNWARD LEAKAGE CONTAMINANT PLUME UNSEALED ANNULAR SPACE AROUND CASING INFILTRATION OF SURFACE CONTAMINANTS

17. UNSEALED ANNULUS BETWEEN CASING & BOREHOLE GROUT PIPE DIRECT PATHWAY TO AQUIFER IF LEFT UNGROUTED OR IMPROPERLY GROUTED

18. Would this temporary cap keep contaminants out of the well?

19. Sanitary & Preventive Practices During Well Completion KEEP WELL COMPONENTS ELEVATED OFF GROUND….. USE SANITARY HANDLING PRACTICES CLEAN DRILLING TOOLS BETWEEN WELLS TO PREVENT CROSS-CONTAMINATION

20. COMPONENTS OF A SAFE & RELIABLE WATER WELL PROPER WELL CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS SANITARY WELL COMPLETION PRACTICES TRAINED PROFESSIONAL WATER WELL CONTRACTORS PROPER WATER SYSTEM MAINTENANCE ROUTINE MONITORING OF WATER QUALITY TARGET AQUIFER HAS AMPLE YIELD & SAFE WATER SUFFICIENT SEPARATION FROM CONTAMINATION SOURCES

21. WELLS MOST VUNERABLE TO MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION POOR CONSTRUCTION (UNSEALED ANNULUS OR DUG WELL) DEFICIENT WELL HEAD (CRACKED WELL CAP OR OPEN VENT) SHALLOW DEPTH (OR SHORT CASING IN BEDROCK) FLOODING, BURIED WELL HEAD OR SUBMERGED IN WELL PIT SEWER LINE BREAK, SEWAGE OVERFLOW OR CROSS- CONNECTION TOO CLOSE TO SEPTIC SYSTEM, AGRIC. RUNOFF OR ABANDONED WELL OLD WELLS WITH CORRODED WELL CASING

22. LHD Water Sampling Activities COLLECT BACTI SAMPLES OR PROVIDE SAMPLE BOTTLES TO WELL DRILLER OR OWNER TRACK TEST RESULTS TO ENSURE ALL NEW WELLS ARE TESTED WITHHOLD ISSUANCE OF WELL APPROVAL UNTIL SAFE BACTERIOLOGICAL SAMPLES ARE ATTAINED USE WELL PERMIT PROGRAM TO NOTIFY WELL OWNER OF NEED TO COLLECT SAMPLE PROMPT FOLLOW-UP ON POSITIVE COLIFORM RESULTS, ESPECIALLY E. COLI POSITIVES

23. Why Should Well Contractors Collect Bacteriological Water Samples? Reduce public health risk Enhance industry professionalism Validate quality of contractors’ work Reduce contractor liability

24. Why Should Well Contractors Collect Bacteriological Water Samples? Improve customer confidence in groundwater Reduce customer anxiety over positive test results Gain better understanding of public health within water well industry

25. Why Should Well Contractors Collect Bacteriological Water Samples? Current practice leaves customers with sense of purchasing incomplete product Contractor knows when water system is complete and ready for sampling. Well owners are unfamiliar with sampling protocol – prone to false positives.

26. Why Should Well Contractors Collect Bacteriological Water Samples? Contractor ownership of sampling protocol Fewer disputes over sampling location and technique Reduction of complaints over validity of sample results Encourages more sanitary drilling practices

27. WORK WITH LOCAL BUILDING CODE OFFICIAL WATER SUPPLY APPROVAL BY LHD BUILDING INSPECTOR CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY