Water Smarts 2002

• Year: 2002
• Title: Water Smarts
• Author: Upper Arkansas Area COG USGS Pueblo Office
• Description: A well and septic system owner's guide to ground water in the upper arkansas area chaffee, custer, fremont, and lake counties, Colorado
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

samples repeatedly show a bacterial
presence, chlorination may not be the answer.
Because most people do not know how to
properly disinfect their wells, there is usually
a strong odor of chlorine. If you can smell
chlorine, order a new test. You can also run
a test for chlorine in the water sample using a
basic pool or spa chlorine kit.
Is it true that some small water
distribution systems are not
subject to the testing
requirements of the Safe
Drinking Water Act?
If the system serves less than 1.5 homes, the
Safe Drinking Water Act does not require
water quality tests. A way to protect yourself
is to run your own tests periodically. You
may be able to convince others on the system
to share the costs of testing. Testing water
quality once a year is usually adequate,
unless you have reason to believe that
contaminants are being introduced to the
system. If you believe your water supply is
being contaminated by neighboring
properties, an established record of your
water quality will serve as evidence.
Ongoing sampling and monitoring is the best
way to protect yourself.
Does obtaining a well permit
guarantee I'll have water?
Unfortunately it does not. A well permit
gives you permission to look for water.
You're not guaranteed to find water where
you drill, and the state can't promise the
water will continue to flow.
What laws ensure well water
quality?
Unlike city residents who rely on local
government or a water district to treat and
Protect water quality, you are responsible for
ensuring that your well water is safe to drink.
In Colorado, no regulations guarantee the
safety of the quality of water from an
individual well. The Colorado Water
Pollution Control Act of 1966, now the
Water Quality Control Act, established water
quality standards for both surface and ground
water. These standards guide and educate
homeowners as to the acceptable levels of
potential contaminants in well water, but
currently, they are not enforceable for private
individual wells.
What are the pros and cons of
well adjudication?
Adjudication is a legal process resulting in a
court- decreed water right. It defines the
water right in terms of date of first use
(priority date), type of use, and amount of
water that can be used. Any well can be
adjudicated, and for some kinds of well use
adjudication is a requirement. Exempt wells
(typical residential wells) do not have to be
adjudicated. It is an option some owners
choose for various reasons. The most
important reason to adjudicate a well is to
have standing before water court if you wish
to protest some other case before the court.
The biggest potential drawback of
adjudicating a well, is that it draws attention
to your well permit and uses. An inspection
of your property and well permit records is
likely, and violations of the permit
conditions, or problems with the permit
forms may be discovered. This is not a
concern if you are using your well in
compliance with state law. Whether you
choose to adjudicate or not, it is wise to
establish and build a record of data and
history on your well. Data from regular
monitoring of water levels, well yield, and
water quality will help you track potential
changes to your well. Also, stay informed of
surrounding land use activities.
What is a Plan of Augmentation?
With the exception of geothermal wells,
every well consumes some portion of the
water pumped. This amount, which is lost to
the stream system, is call consumptive use.
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