Water Sampling Uncovers Arsenic
May 21st, 2012 by Steve
Results of water sampling in the towns of Byron and Lamartine will be discussed 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, at Rolling Meadows Golf Course meeting room, 560 W. Rolling Meadows Drive.
The most common problem identified through testing was arsenic, according to a press release from UW-Extension of Fond du Lac County. Among the 40 or so households that tested for metals, almost half showed high amounts of arsenic in the drinking water. Most of these wells are in the town of Lamartine.
A few wells also exceeded drinking water standards for coliform bacteria and nitrate. Roughly 15 percent of the wells that tested for traces of the herbicide atrazine showed detectable levels in the water.
Kevin Masarik, a state groundwater specialist with UW-Extension, will explain the results on May 22. The meeting is public and open to all area residents regardless of participation in the sampling program. Specific testing results will remain private. Masarik will be available to discuss them individually after the general educational session.
The April sampling, which was optional, was the first time in 20 years that such thorough tests were available for the townships all at once.
For information on water usage and preventing contamination, visit fonddulac.uwex.edu. The site includes a calculator for residential water use as well as tips for preventing leaks and contamination of drinking water.
Filed under: Arsenic Testing, General