VIRGINIA & TEXAS, OCT 27, 2017 --Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey to local businesses and homes, residents in Harris County, Texas, now need to worry about the water coming from private wells.
The Houston Chronicle reports that preliminary testing showed the presence of total coliform and E. coli. Residents were advised that they should not use water from their flooded well for cooking, bathing or drinking because it can contain sewage from flooded wastewater treatment plants as well as manure.
The data was released this week by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and was analyzed after researchers there joined with Texas A&M University's AgriLife Extension Service to distribute free water sampling kits to residents who have private wells in counties impacted by Harvey.
The universities distributed 1,200 kits to residents, and received back 630 samples from 21 counties. The results showed that 47 percent of the samples tested positive for total coliform, and more than 10 percent of wells tested positive for E. coli.
Well owners whose water came back positive for contaminants have already have been informed.
Read more here.
