Residents of Henry County should be cautious about drinking their well water. As flooding continues, county officials say drinking well water and septic tanks could be contaminated by floodwaters.
Mat Schnepple, Director of Henry County's Office of Emergency Management, says the most common result of contamination is harmful bacteria, such as E. Coli. So, his office and the county health department are offering free well testing kits.
"It's as simple as picking up the test kit from us, we have them available at the Colona Health Clinic. It's got detailed instructions inside and it's just a sampling bottle. So they'll run their tap water for the reccomended time frame and then fill up the bottle with water right out of the tap." said Schnepple.
The tap water will be put back in the box and shipped to a lab in Springfield. The results will come directly back to the homeowners, which Schnepple says provides some privacy. The postage is prepaid with a sticker.
If bacteria is present, homeowners should call the Environmental Services in Henry County for advice about what to do. For example how to treat drinking water with chemicals.
Schnepple highly recommends testing for anyone who thinks their well may be affected by flooding and contamination.
Kits are available for pick up at the Henry County Health Department's Colona Clinic, Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 4 pm.