it's important to take care of them.

Well Aware is trying to spread that message.

The program held a community forum in Nobleton recently, and another previously in Caledon East.

Well Aware is a program that is being delivered locally by the community-based environmental non-profit group called Windfall Ecology Centre.

Jen Atkinson, program director for Windfall, said there are some 750,000 wells in Ontario, according to Ministry of the Environment (MOE) estimates, and about 500,000 wells that need decommissioning.

She added people who have wells should have their water tested regularly, and have them maintained. Wells that are not being used should be sealed, and she suggested hiring a professional contractor to do the job.

Well Aware, she explained, has been going since 2003, starting in the aftermath of the Walkerton tragedy. Atkinson said they had approached MOE previously with the idea of setting up such a program, but were turned down. After the tragedy, they were provided with funding to carry out confidential, third-party advising.

In addition to community forums, Well Aware will do free home visits and assessments, as well as providing information kits.

Geoscientist Norbert Woerns spoke of some of the basics involving groundwater and wells, and the impact they have on each other.

He explained how the water cycle works, with water evaporating from streams or other bodies, forming clouds, with water coming back down in the form of rain or snow, and issues with runoff and infiltration.

Addressing issues of infiltration or percolation into the soil, Woerns said it can't be seen, but it is an essential link in the chain. He added if ground water is impacted, the effects will eventually show up in surface water.

Rain water seeps into the soils, Woerns explained, eventually reaching the water table, which he said is where the soil becomes saturated. Once water is in the water table, Woerns said it moves laterally, eventually discharging into surface

crown water areas. If the areas of infiltration are cut off, surface water areas will eventually dry up, he said. He added once a stream drys up, it's hard to replace it.

The rate at which water is absorbed into the soil depends on a lot of factors, Woerns said, including the type of soil (sand, clay, etc.)

Wells are where humans make contact with ground water, Woerns said.

He pointed out a confined aquifer is one that takes water a long time to get to, and once it's there, it's under pressure. Drilling a well into such an aquifer will result in water being driven up toward the surface. He added if the water goes above the surface, it's an artesian well. And like a deflating balloon, the pressure in the aquifer will be reduced if the water is overused, he said.

Woerns said unconfined aquifers are not as deep, meaning they are more susceptible to seasonal fluctuations, and contamination.

He explained that taking water from a well caused the level to drop, creating low pressure. Since water flows from high-pressure to low-pressure areas, that will cause it to flow into the well. As well, if there is contamination in the water, it will flow into the well too.

There are more wells in use today than there were some 50 years ago, Woerns said, and between the early 1950s and the early '90s, the percentage of wells with high bacteria counts rose from 15 to 34 per cent. The use of road salt also has an impact, and Woerns agreed that's a hard issue to deal with because it involves road safety. But he pointed out it all goes into the environment. He added the salt is soluble, meaning the soils do not filter it out.

In order to avoid contamination, Woerns said it's important to have a properly sealed well. it's also important to be careful what gets dumped near a well. For example, he said oil will infiltrate the soils, and eventually get into the water table and into the wells He added it's important to be careful with the handling of chemicals around th home with a well. "Once it's in the ground, it's very difficult to get out of the ground," he said, adding one litre of gasoline could render one million litres of water undrinkable.

Kevin Constable, a licensed well drilling contractor, told the audience it's important to get someone licensed by MOE if work is needed on a well. He added not all plumbers are licensed, while some are. he also advised getting a contractor who locally based, and familiar with the regulations of the Ontario Ground Water Association.

Amanda Sturgeon, a senior public health inspector with York Region Community and Health Services, stressed the need for getting wells inspected every year. She added maintaining wells is the property owner's responsibility.

She also said samples from the well should be tested three times per year, especially in the spring.