New Extension Bulletin for AZ Well Owners

Feb. 28, 2015

The University of Arizona Superfund Research Program (UA SRP) teamed up with UA Cooperative Extension to publish a Bulletin entitled, “How to Lower the Levels of Arsenic in Well Water: What Choices do Arizona Consumers Have?” Released in February 2015, the peer-reviewed bulletin provides readers with an overview of arsenic in well water and discusses home water treatment options, including detailed descriptions of distillation, reverse osmosis (RO), and iron filters to lower arsenic and other common water constituents in drinking water. This Bulletin meets a critical need in Arizona, where naturally high levels of groundwater arsenic are found in many areas. This results in arsenic levels in well water that are often above the federal drinking water standards, and we have heard a number of concerns from private well owners in Arizona communities about how to decide on an appropriate treatment. Expanding on the popular 2-page factsheet, “Arsenic in drinking water: what you need to know,” which we previously developed with our state and federal collaborators, the 10-page bulletin weighs the pros and cons of popular treatments, based on water use needs and water quality parameters. The Bulletin was authored by Research Translation Core investigator Dr. Janick Artiola and Coordinator Dr. Sarah Wilkinson.

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