Should you rely on well water for your house and garden requirements, you have to exercise caution to keep your water supply clean. Private well water is not tested or subjected to criteria from the Environmental Protection Agency the way public water systems are regulated. Because well water is directly linked to groundwater, runoff that comes in contact with pesticides and pesticides poses a danger. You have to carefully choose the products that you select for your garden landscape and also utilized them in a safe distance from your well to prevent contamination.
Mixed Reviews about Glyphosate
Glyphosate is the principal, active ingredient in the herbicide Roundup. Glyphosate is utilized around edible and nonedible plants to eliminate broad-leaf weeds. While effective, there are mixed reviews about the security of glyphosate. Glyphosate is biodegradable and breaks down in sunlight. However, once it passes a water system via runoff or by permeating the soil into the groundwater, glyphosate doesn’t break down as fast. This poses a concern for individuals who rely on well water. A well contaminated with glyphosate is not a clean supply of water. The EPA is investigating the possible damaging effects of glyphosate, as it has also been linked to a lot of health issues.
Well Contamination
Glyphosate and other herbicide and pesticide garden and landscape products have the potential to contaminate your well during the groundwater and runoff. Well water is an assortment of groundwater from natural springs which is pumped out into your well. If contaminated, it poses a danger for you, your loved ones members and pets. In addition, it poses a danger to your garden and garden plants. Well water that has been contaminated by herbicides might not look, smell or taste any different from tidy, non-contaminated water. Because of this, it’s necessary to have your well water tested after a year to make sure it is free from substances, nitrates and bacteria.
Maintaining a Safe Distance
Never mix, spray or store pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides, such as products like Roundup, which includes glyphosate, close your well. If you decide to use these products on your garden, keep a distance of 100 feet or more from the well head. Maintaining the appropriate distance is vital to prevent direct contamination; however, it’s necessary to be aware that these products still have the capacity to contaminate your well during groundwater and runoff. That is why the EPA recommends that well owners use granular activated carbon filters to eliminate glyphosate and other contaminates from their water. In addition they recommend never spraying glyphosate close sinkholes to prevent groundwater contamination, and ensure the ground all around your well head slopes downward to prevent runoff contamination.
Alternatives to Glyphosate
There are safer therapies which control broad-leaf weeds and don’t run the chance of contaminating your well water. Essential oils of citronella, peppermint, clove and pine are an effective spot treatment for killing weed leaves and grasses over the soil. Vinegar is also effective for burning away weed leaf, though use it with caution to prevent burning and damaging other plants in the area. Mulch your garden beds using corn gluten twice a year to keep new weeds from coming up. Corn gluten is a safe and natural product that doesn’t contaminate well water. It is also safe to use if you have pets. When mowing your lawn, increase your mower deck around 3 inches. Grass that’s a bit narrower blocks sunlight which promotes the growth of broad-leaf weeds.