Well Aware is Back ....Offering Free Check-Ups – For your well.

Rural homeowners in the Greater Kingston, Loyalist, Greater Napanee, Lennox & Addington, Stone Mills, Frontenac and Leeds & 1000 Islands Counties are being offered a chance to have a free, confidential and non-regulatory well check-up conducted by a certified guide. The program, known as Well Aware, is being delivered in our region by the community based environmental non-profit Hearthmakers Energy Cooperative (HEC).

During a well check-up visit, a guide spends up to 2 hours with the homeowner teaching them how to identify and address potential risks to their water supply. The homeowner will learn about the soil and bedrock conditions of their property and how these can impact their groundwater. They are shown how to perform routine checkups and maintenance on their wells, and they are provided with information on upgrades, water testing, as well as, septic care and maintenance. The visits are also a great one-on-one opportunity for homeowners to raise specific questions and concerns they may have about their water quality. After the visit the homeowner is mailed a complete report containing all observations and recommendations for their well and property.

One of the many great things about the program is that it is completely voluntary and confidential. The homeowner is not obligated in any way to implement any of the recommendations. The purpose of Well Aware is to educate – to provide well owners with the knowledge they need to care for and maintain their water supply.

Last summer 50 homeowners in the region took advantage of the program. And just like last year, there will be a limited number of bookings being offered, so visits will be first come, first serve!

Well Aware is a project of Green Communities Canada and is delivered locally by member Hearthmakers. Funding support is provided by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. Well Aware encourages Ontario’s residential well owners to protect their wells and our common groundwater supplies. Technical support is provided by the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario. Well Aware is endorsed by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Conservation Ontario, and the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (Ontario branch). For more information or to book a visit, call Hearthmakers Energy Cooperative (HEC) at 613-547-8122.