Well owners flood county phone lines

LORRINE THOMPSON, THE OLYMPIAN

THURSTON COUNTY -- County health officials have a two-part message for residents worried about drinking their well water after Wednesday's earthquake:

-Better safe than sorry -- particularly if you notice a change in your water. Boil your water for three to five minutes before drinking it, until you can get it tested.

-The county will test well water from single-family homes for free until March 15, checking to make sure no bacteria entered the water during or after the earthquake.

The county has received about 70 calls from residents asking that their well water be tested, said Sherri McDonald, deputy director of the county Public Health and Social Services Department.

"Most of the issues have to do with, 'The water is cloudy. Can I drink it?' and 'The water smells funny. Can I drink it?' " McDonald said.

The free test involves checking for bacteria, which can enter well water from deep in the ground if a well casing gets shaken up enough to be damaged or to temporarily allow outside elements in, McDonald said.

"The earthquake was 35 miles deep. Things got shaken up pretty well," she said. "We want people to err on the side of caution."

Residents with wells should watch for changes in water color or clarity, said Art Starry, director of the department's Environmental Health division. Cloudy or off-color water might simply mean that some sediment was shaken loose, but it's worth checking, he said.

"It can mean anything, including that there's unhealthy stuff in there," Starry said.

County health officials also are responding to reports of septic problems.

About 10 residents have called with concerns about drains and toilets backing up, slow drains, and in two cases, septic waste surfacing on the ground. Any reports of waste surfacing will draw an immediate response, McDonald said.

In the case of slow drains or drains backing up, the problem may be pipes shaken loose that need to be repaired by plumbers or septic businesses, Starry said.

"We can try to help people sort that out," he said.

Lorrine Thompson covers Thurston County and health care for The Olympian. She can be reached at 754-5431.

Free well testing, septic checks

Thurston County's environmental health division is offering free well water testing for single-family homes until March 15. Residents can pick up sample bottles at the county Courthouse, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. S.W., Building 1, second floor, as well as at Yelm, Rainier and Tenino city halls and at the Rochester Organization of Families office on U.S. Highway 12. Instructions for collecting samples are on the bottles, which can be returned to the same locations for testing.

Residents worried about the safety of their well water or septic systems can call 754-4375 to leave messages, phone numbers and addresses. County workers will call back with information.

More earthquake information and forms for registering earthquake damage also are available on the county Web site at www.co.thurston.wa.us.

On the web:

Commissioners.

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