University of Florida IFAS Clay County Extension and Virginia Tech are offering free well water testing to private well users whose wells were affected by flooding from Hurricane Irma.

The tests will check for key disease-causing bacteria possibly carried into wells by flood waters. If bacteria are found, wells will need to be disinfected before water is safe for drinking, cooking, washing and myriad other uses.

“Well owners should test for harmful bacteria annually and after any major flood. If a well is inundated by flood waters or surface water, bacterial contamination is likely,” explained Dr. Abbey Tyrna, water resources agent with UF/IFAS Extension. The samples will be analyzed for total coliform bacteria and E. coli by Virginia Tech, and the confidential water quality results will be emailed to residents and mailed to residents’ homes.

Any homeowner with a private water well in a flood-affected area is eligible and can pick up their free water sampling test kit, October 12-20, at the Clay County Extension Office, 2463 SR 16 West in Green Cove Springs, but they must be able to return the sample to the Extension office from 8-11 a.m. on Monday, October 23, 2017.

Instructions are included with the kits and only one sample kit will be provided per household. There are a limited number of kits, which will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about this service or about how to decontaminate or disinfect your private well contact UF/IFAS Extension Director Dr. Brad Burbaugh at 904-284-6355 or brad784@ufl.edu

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