Well Water - A Deadly Toxin
Dr. Edward Jasionowski
Parlin, New Jersey
Eight years ago, upon retirement, I devoted several hours each day to my hobby of growing rhododendrons. In a few years, I had over 700 plants on my two-acre wooded plot.
During a hot, dry summer, some of my plants died, partially or completely. Watering was difficult; water pressure was low because my land was the highest in the vicinity. Only one sprinkler would function at a time. Digging a well seemed to be the solution.
Three years ago, a superficial well, which was dependent on rainwater filtering through the sand, was dug. The water flow was determined to be insufficient for irrigation purposes (only 7 gallons/min.). Last fall I opted for a deep well (through a clay layer). At 250 feet, a copious supply (over 100 gallons/min.) was obtained. The well digger informed me that the iron level made it unsuitable for drinking purposes; however, I considered it an asset for rhododendrons.
This spring I used sprinklers to water all my young plants. These included several years production of prized rooted cuttings (several hundred), as well as recently purchased plants. I also watered a recently planted garden of mature plans. To my consternation, next day all the leaves had a brownish stain. To get around this, I resorted to a drip system.
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The skeleton remains of formally healthy plants.
Photo by Edward Jasionowski |
Final result, the plants lost all their leaves and subsequently died. The vegetation (ferns, grass, etc.) watered by the soaker hoses also died. Some mature plants watered for only a short time (1 D 2 hour) showed leaf damage and survived.
The water analysis revealed the following:
Iron 199 mg/L
Manganese 1.03 mg/L
Sodium 2880 mg/L
These levels are over 500 times the maximum permitted for drinking purposes. It is also not suitable for irrigation purposes.
Discouraged and back to square one.
Dr. Jasionowski is a member of the Princeton Chapter.