FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 27, 2011; 4:17 PM
Contact: Danita Boonchaisri
1. Email: danitab@co.cal.md.us<mailto:danitab@co.cal.md.us>
Linda Vassallo
443-532-1659 Email: vassalls@co.cal.md.us<mailto:vassalls@co.cal.md.us>
Water Safety Information Statement
from the Calvert County Health Department
PRINCE FREDERICK, MD (August 27, 2011) — The Calvert County Health Department wants to remind
residents that drilled wells are subject to saltwater and surface water contamination if the well-head is submerged. If you suspect your well-head has been submerged, the Division of Environmental Health recommends following the procedure outlined below:
CAUTION: Your well operates on electricity; electrical shock is possible if care is not taken during this procedure. If you are uncomfortable performing this procedure, contact a professional for assistance.
1. Pump off your well. Attach a garden hose to the outside of your house and run the water for four hours.
2. After completing step one, remove the cap of the well and pour one gallon of regular bleach, without added fragrances, into the well. Begin pumping off the well until the odor or smell of bleach is noticed. Stop pumping and let the water stay in the plumbing for 24 hours.
3. After 24 hours, pump off the well until the bleach odor subsides.
4. Lastly, with this procedure completed, contact the Calvert County Division of Environmental Health for water sampling at
(Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or
(during an emergency) or NOTE: It is recommended that you DO NOT DRINK water from your wells until this procedure is complete. Bottled water is recommended as an alternative.