UF/IFAS Water School Webinar Series: Managing Stormwater in a Changing FL Panhandle 2023

UF/IFAS Water School Webinar Series: Managing Stormwater in a Changing FL Panhandle 2023

Join us for a two-part webinar series: Managing Stormwater in a Changing FL Panhandle 2023 on May 3 from 8-11 am CST (9-12 pm EST), and May 17 from 8-11 am CST (9-12 pm EST). For those that have attended in previous years, we have a lot of new material to present and discuss.

Please register here: Stormwater Management Eventbrite A detailed agenda can be found on the Eventbrite page.

May 3: Session 1 will focus on Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) and its maintenance, as well as presentations and discussion on the ecological function of GSI+LID (Low impact Development) and the Community Rating System

May 17: Session 2 will focus on implementing GSI+LID at the community level, with presentations and discussion on updates and opportunities for LID+GSI in Rules and Regulations, available funding and educational resources for project implementation and community-based social marketing.

PDHs and CEUs offered:

  • 4 Professional Development Hours (PDH) will be offered through the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. Two PDHs will be offered for Day 1 and two will be offered for Day 2.
  • 4 Continuing Education Units (CEU) will be offered for Pesticide Applicators through FDACS in the following categories: Ornamental & Turf, Private Applicator Ag, Right-of-Way, Aquatic, Natural Areas, Commercial Lawn & Ornamental, Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance, Limited Lawn & Ornamental and Limited Urban Fertilizer.

The webinar is free for those not seeking PDHs or CEUs. For those seeking PDHs or CEUs, the cost is $50 for Day 1, and $50 for Day 2.

We look forward to your attendance! Feel free to contact Andrea Albertin if you have any questions: albertin@ufl.edu or (850) 875-7111

Multi-County Private Well and Water Quality Workshop

Multi-County Private Well and Water Quality Workshop

Private well system in Florida. Image: C. Wofford, UF/IFAS Photography

As a private well owner, you are responsible for ensuring that your water is safe to drink. What do you know about where well water comes from? Do you know how well water can become contaminated? If you want to learn about steps you can take to help ensure your drinking water is safe to consume and about what you can do to help protect groundwater quality, join us at our upcoming workshop. We will cover how private wells and septic systems work, maintenance, protecting drinking water quality, and disaster preparedness for this upcoming hurricane season.

The workshop will be offered on Thursday, April 13, 2023, from 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm at the Jackson County Agriculture Offices, 2741 Penn Ave., Marianna. You can also attend virtually via Zoom. Registration is $5.00 per person. Facilitated water screening for total coliform and E. coli bacteria is available for FREE! Please register using this Eventbrite link, or you can also register by visiting the Jackson County Extension Office, 2741 Penn Avenue, Suite 3, Marianna (850-482-9620). This workshop is being presented by UF/IFAS Extension Bay, Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington Counties.

For lead and nitrate testing prices and additional details, visit our Eventbrite page or call the Jackson County Extension Office at 850-482-9620. Pre-registration is encouraged as seating is limited, but as mentioned previously, a virtual option is also available. For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please contact the Extension Office (TDD, via Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771) at least ten working days prior to the class so that proper consideration may be given to the request. UF/IFAS Extension is an Equal Opportunity Institution.   

Private Well and Septic System Webinars and Well Water Screening

Private Well and Septic System Webinars and Well Water Screening

Are you a Florida homeowner connected to a private well and/or septic system? Do you know want to learn more about your water and wastewater management systems at home?

If so, please join the UF/IFAS Central and Northwest Florida water resources regional specialized agents Yilin Zhuang and Andrea Albertin, in our four free private well and septic system webinars in February and March:

  • Thursday, February 9 at 2:00 p.m.: Private Wells 101
  • Thursday, February 16 at 2:00 p.m.: Septic System 101
  • Thursday, February 23 at 2:00 p.m.: Private Well Care Before and After Storms
  • Thursday, March 2 at 2:00 p.m.: Septic System Care Before and After Storms

After completing the webinars, attendees will also receive free mail-in well water screening for total coliform bacteria and E. coli.

To register, please visit our Eventbrite page: https://2023FWON.eventbrite.com. These webinars are free, but we ask all attendees to register.

For more information, please contact Dr. Yilin Zhuang at yilinz@ufl.edu, or Dr. Andrea Albertin at albertin@ufl.edu or via telephone: (850) 875-7111.

Private wells: Protect your water quality

Private wells: Protect your water quality

The sanitary well cap (blue metal plate on well casing) and concrete pad on top of a grout seal help protect well water from surface contaminants. The spigot on the well cap is solely for sampliing purposes and is a requirement in this specific area of NE Jackson County. Image: AJ Weiss, FDOH.

Many residents in the Florida Panhandle rely on groundwater from private wells for home consumption. While public water systems are regulated federally to ensure safe drinking water, private wells are not regulated. Well users are responsible for ensuring the safety of their water. 

Recommended practices to protect your well water quality

Basic care at and around your well will reduce the risk of contaminating your well water.

  • Make sure that the well is properly sealed at the surface to keep pollutants from getting directly into your well and groundwater. A sanitary seal or sanitary well cap (which caps the surface end of the well casing) keeps surface water, pathogens, insects and other animals, chemicals, liquid fuels, and debris from getting directly into your well. Grout, which works as a sealant, is used to fill the space between the well casing and the edge of the borehole when a well is drilled. It prevents surface water from flowing down along the outside of the well casing directly to the groundwater being drawn by the well.
  • Keep the area around your well clean and accessible.
  • Make sure there is at least a 75 ft separation distance between your well and your septic system (this is required in Florida).
  • A well shouldn’t be close to (no less than 75 ft) or downhill from an animal enclosure.
  • Don’t store chemicals, fertilizers, or fuel near your well or in a well house.
  • Don’t use a well (residential or agricultural) as a chemical mixing station.

What should you test your well water for and where can you have it tested?

Contact you local county health department office for information on how to test your well water to ensure it is safe to drink. Image: F. Alvarado

At a minimum, the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) recommends testing drinking water annually for bacteria (total coliform bacteria and fecal coliforms, usually E. coli). Other contaminants that they recommend testing for include nitrate, lead, and pH.

Depending on where you live and current or past activities in your area, other contaminants may affect your well water quality. Call your local health department to see what they advise testing for.   It’s also important to reach out to them for testing recommendations when:

  • There is a change in the taste, appearance, or odor of your water
  • There is recurring gastrointestinal illness or other unexplained illness in the household
  • Your well is flooded or damaged
  • You have a spill of oil, liquid fuels, solvents, or other chemicals into or near your well
  • Any time services or repairs are done and the sanitary seal on your well is opened

Many county health departments provide testing for bacterial contamination at a minimum. If they do not offer testing for a particular contaminant, they can help point you to commercial labs in the area for testing. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) also maintains a list of certified water testing labs, which you can search by county. Through good maintenance practices and annual testing, you can help maintain your well water quality.

Maintaining your septic system: Should you use additives?

Maintaining your septic system: Should you use additives?

A conventional septic system is composed of a septic tank and a drainfield, where most of the wastewater treatment takes place. Image: US EPA

Why do you need to maintain a septic system?

Conventional septic systems are made up of a septic tank (a watertight container buried in the ground) and a drain field, or leach field. In the septic tank, solids settle on the bottom (the sludge layer), and oils and grease float to the top and form a scum layer. The liquid wastewater, which is in the middle layer of the tank, flows out through perforated pipes into the drainfield, where it percolates down through the ground. Most wastewater treatment takes place in the drainfield.

Solids settle to the bottom of a septic tank (sludge), oils and greases float to the top (scum) and wastewater (effluent) flows out of the tank into the drainfield for further treatment. Image: Soil and Water Science Lab, UF GREC.

Although bacteria continually work on breaking down the organic matter in your septic tank, sludge and scum will build up, which is why a system needs to be cleaned out periodically. If not, sludge and scum can flow into the drainfield clogging the pipes and sewage can back up into your house. Overloading the system with water also reduces its ability to work properly by not leaving enough time for material to separate out in the tank, and by flooding the system.

Should you use additives in your septic system?

Septic systems do not need any additives to function properly and treat wastewater. Although there are many commercial microbiological and enzyme additives sold on the market that claim to enhance bacterial populations and reduce the time between septic system pumping, there really isn’t any peer-reviewed scientific literature that shows that these additives are effective in doing what they claim.

In Florida, the Department of Health (DOH) reviews commercially sold additives to ensure that they are safe to use in septic systems. DOH clearly states that although products are approved, it does not mean that this is an endorsement or a product recommendation. Approval simply means that as required by Florida law, the additive doesn’t interfere with septic system function and that when an additive is used, the effluent (wastewater) leaving the septic system meets Florida’s water quality standards. Only products in compliance with this law can be sold or used in septic systems in Florida. You can find a list of approved products and more information regarding additives on the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) septic system website. Access the list of products directly here (updated 10/18/2021).

How can you properly care for your septic system?

The best way to keep your system functioning properly is to follow some common-sense practices.

  1. Only flush human waste and toilet paper down the toilet. Wet wipes do not break down in the septic system even though the packaging labels them as septic-safe!

    Be mindful of what you put down sinks and flush down toilets. All drains in your home lead to the septic tank. Image: A. Albertin

  2. Think at the sink. Avoid pouring oil and fat down the kitchen drain. Avoid excessive use of harsh cleaning products and detergents which can affect the microbes in your septic tank (regular weekly cleaning is fine). Prescription drugs and antibiotics should never be flushed down the toilet.
  3. Limit your use of the garbage disposal. Disposals add organic matter and additional water to your septic system, which results in the need for more frequent pumping.
  4. Take care at the surface of your tank and drainfield. Don’t drive vehicles or heavy equipment over the system. Avoid planting trees or shrubs with deep roots that could disrupt the system or plug pipes.
  5. Conserve water. Reduce the amount of water pumped into your septic tank through water conservation practices like (1) repairing leaky faucets, toilets, and pipes, (2) installing, low-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators, and (3) only running the washing machine and dishwasher when full.
  6. Have your septic system pumped by a certified professional. The general rule of thumb is every 3-5 years, but it will depend on household size, the size of your septic tank, how much wastewater you produce and what you flush down your toilet.

Even when conventional septic systems are well maintained, they are still a source of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, to groundwater. They were designed from a public health perspective to remove pathogens, not nutrients.

For more information on septic systems, visit the UF/IFAS septic system website and FDEP’s septic system website.