Aug. 15, 2001 – Whether you rely on cistern water or potable water, you may have reason to worry about whether it's safe to use. One way to learn a lot about the topic is to take part in one of the free water quality workshops being held by the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service on St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John.
"It's a health issue," Julie Wright, CES water quality program supervisor, said. She said it is especially important to keep tabs on water quality during hurricane season to check for possible contamination.
Participants will learn what contaminates drinking water, how to maintain cistern water quality, when and how to test drinking water, how to treat water, how to choose a water filter and how to understand test reports.
The first 50 people who register for a workshop will receive free home testing kits to determine the bacteria and lead content of water. "Lead is an issue, especially in older homes," Wright said.
The first workshop is on St. Croix, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 21, in Room 133 of the UVI Research and Extension Center.
The St. Thomas workshop is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23, at the UVI Sports and Fitness Center in the second-floor conference room.
The St. John workshop is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28, at the Cooperative Extension Service office located upstairs from the Fashion Palace (in the old Joe's Discount building).
To register for any of them, call Wright at 693-1082 or Dale Morton at 693-1086.