Texas Well Owner Network: Protecting Groundwater Resources and Human Health.

Over 1 million private water wells in Texas provide water to citizens in rural areas and increasingly to those living in small acreages at the growing rural-urban interface. Private well owners are independently responsible for all aspects of their water well system including monitoring the water quality, maintenance, and responding to water quality or water quantity problems. To support this need to educate private well owners, the Texas Well Owner Network (TWON) was initiated as a partnership between Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board. Primary goals of the program are changes in knowledge, awareness, attitudes and actions of private water well managers and improvement of private well management to safeguard homeowner health and protect aquifer integrity. The TWON is offered state-wide for Texas residents to become familiar with groundwater resources, septic system maintenance, well maintenance, water quality and water treatment. The program also offers the opportunity for participants to bring water samples from their own water well to be screened for nitrate-nitrogen, TDS, arsenic and fecal coliform bacteria. Participants with water samples exceeding maximum containment levels are provided recommendations to improve water quality. Training is delivered through educational presentations and easy-to-understand publications. The TWON program aims to help private well owners understand their role in protecting their water supply and groundwater resources.