Do You Know if Your Well is Contaminated by Road Salt???
Attention CLCA members:
If you are concerned about salt getting into the water in your drilled or dug well you can submit a sample to John Byrnes, CLCA member who can run a “conductivity test” to determine if salt may be present.
Folks living nearby a highway should consider having this test completed. Recent state level studies have shown a considerable instance where road salt from winter road application has infiltrated wells and drinking water supplies across the Adirondacks. Increased levels of sodium and chloride can pose health problems, especially for individuals with high blood pressure.
Conductivity is a measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current. Because dissolved salts and other inorganic chemicals conduct electrical current, conductivity increases as salinity increases.
Information collected from local sampling will also help the CLCA advocate for reductions in road salt usage. We hope to monitor what water over time to see if they are improving or getting worse.
Results from pilot projects have shown that roads can be safely maintained with the use of special techniques. We will look to encourage similar practices by the state and Town around Canada Lake.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CONDUCTIVITY TEST ITS EASY TO DO:
-Turn on your cold-water faucet for 5 to 10 minutes to flush your well.
-Find a used water bottle (any size) and rinse it 3 times.
-Label the bottle with your name and address.
-Drop the bottle in the cooler on the front porch of John’s house, 113 Old State Road (it is 3 houses down from the Canada Lake Store).
-It is best to drop off a sample on Saturdays or Sundays.
-John can be contacted at (518) 588-9891 (text message is best).
