 Hi, my name is Jessie Krull and I'm an Extension Water Program Coordinator with the Auburn University Water Resources Center. Today we're going to be talking about clean drinking water from private wells and steps you can take to maintain your system either on your farm or within your home. Do you ever wonder where your drinking water comes from? Well, in the United States about 15 million households use a private well as their drinking water source. Life on a private well is pretty different than being on city water where the water is being tested for over 90 contaminants regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Private well owners are responsible for the testing, maintenance and treatment of their home water systems. Just because your well water may taste, look and smell the same doesn't mean that invisible contaminants are not present. We recommend getting your well water screened for bacteria at least once a year. These tests are low cost and can be done by your state environmental or health agency. This test will screen for the presence of total coliform bacteria which are present on the surface of plants and soil and can enter a well from surface water runoff or for E. coli which indicate harmful fecal bacteria in the well water supply. In addition to testing it's also important to visually inspect your well at least once a month. Remove any vegetation or debris that may have accumulated around the well head. Ensure that water is not pooling around the system. Also, check the casing and make sure no cracks are present. In addition, always check to make sure that your sealed sanitary well cap is still in place. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about water resources in Alabama, contact the Auburn University Water Resources Center.