Perceptions of drinking water quality from private wells in Alberta: A qualitative study

Abstract

Water wells are important in providing water for rural populations that are far removed from municipal water supplies. Over 400,000 rural Albertans use water wells for domestic purposes. The responsibility of well water management lies with well owners. Perceptions of well water quality become important in influencing the adoption of well water management practices such as testing, treatment, and well maintenance. This study sought to understand perceptions of well water quality among rural Albertans living on acreages and farms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with well owners. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Overall, well water owners were satisfied with the organoleptic properties of their well water. Activities perceived as a hazard to well water contamination were mainly agricultural or oil and gas related. Most well water owners reported using some form of mitigation strategy. Well water owners reported knowledge of well water contamination events and the main illnesses associated with well water contamination were gastrointestinal illnesses. Perceptions of well water quality were influenced by several factors. Identification of these factors is useful in the development of well stewardship policy and could help inform well stewardship programs in the province.

RÉsumÉ

Les puits d'eau sont importants dans la fourniture de l'eau pour les populations rurales qui sont éloignées des réserves d'eau municipales. Plus de 400 000 Albertains des régions rurales utilisent des puits d'eau pour usages domestiques. La responsabilité de la gestion de l'eau bien incombe aux propriétaires de puits. Les perceptions de la qualité de l'eau jouent un rôle important pour influencer l'adoption de pratiques de gestion de l'eau de puits, tels que le dépistage et le traitement. Cette étude visait à comprendre les perceptions de la qualité de l'eau de puits chez les Albertains des régions rurales vivant dans des superficies et des fermes. Des entretiens semi-structurés ont été menés avec propriétaires de puits. Une analyse thématique a été utilisée pour analyser les données. Dans l'ensemble, les propriétaires d'eau de puits étaient satisfaits par les propriétés organoleptiques de l'eau de leur puits. Les activités liées à l'agriculture et/ou de pétrole et de gaz sont ceux qui ont été perçues présentant un risque pour la contamination de l'eau des puits. La plupart des propriétaires de l'eau de puits ont déclaré avoir utilisé une forme de stratégie d'atténuation. Les propriétaires d'eau de puits ont déclaré avoir connaissance de la contamination de l'eau de puits et que les principales maladies associées à la contamination de l'eau de puits étaient des maladies gastro-intestinales. Les perceptions de la qualité de l'eau de puits ont été influencées par plusieurs facteurs. L'identification de ces facteurs est utile dans le développement de la politique de gérance des puits et pourrait contribuer à éclairer les programmes d'intendance des puits en Alberta.

Keywords:

• Well water
• Perceptions
• Qualitative
• Mitigation
• Alberta

Mots-clés:

• Eau de puits
• Perceptions
• Qualitative
• Atténuation
• Alberta

Acknowledgements

We thank all the water well owners who dedicated their time to participate in this study. We would also like to thank the Watershed Planning and Advisory Council, the Working Well Program, Alberta Environment and Parks Groundwater Information Centre and the Prairie post for their help in participant recruitment and technical support with the Alberta Well Water Information Database. We thank our funders, Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions for supporting this project. We would also like to thank the anonymous reviewers whose comments improved the manuscript. This study was conducted under the University of Calgary study number 1025400-3-1 and approved by the Conjoint Faculties Ethics Research Board and by the Research Ethics Board (REB13-0473). Consent was sought through responses to the questionnaire and verbally.

Disclosure statement

We declare no conflict of interests. All interpretations of data in this manuscript are those of the authors.

Data deposition

Not applicable.

Geolocation information

Not applicable.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions under grant number 2074 to Dr. David C. Hall.

Notes on contributors

Abraham Munene

Abraham Munene is a PhD candidate in the Department of Ecosystem and Public Health in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. He holds a BSc Hon. in Biology and Psychology and a master's in environmental science. He is investigating perceptions of well water quality in rural Alberta associated with livestock. His research interests are in epidemiology, health behaviour, and public health.

Jocelyn Lockyer

Dr. Jocelyn Lockyer (PhD) is a professor emerita in the Department of Community Health Sciences. Her research interests continue in the area of physician feedback and assessment using mixed and qualitative methods.

Sylvia Checkley

Dr. Sylvia Checkley (DVM, PhD) is an associate professor in Department of Ecosystem and Public Health in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. Her research interests are in epidemiology and environmental public health with a focus on the interaction between humans, animals and their environment.

David C. Hall

Dr. David C. Hall (DVM, PhD) is an associate professor in the Department of Ecosystem and Public Health in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary. His research interests are in animal health economics, epidemiology, and public health.