Prince Edward Community Care moved into our current office location at 74 King Street in Picton in February 2016.

For over 20 year prior to our move into this building, it had been occupied by the Public Health Unit. When we move there we situated out front a big sign with “Community Care for Seniors” emblazoned it. That didn’t stop people from coming in with a water bottle in hand ready to drop it off for testing.

The thing is that this kept happening for several years. People would come in either to pick up an empty bottle or to drop off a full one. It brought home to us the realization that perhaps people don’t check their drinking water often enough.

Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) says that if you rely on a private well for drinking water, it is up to you to test your water to identify problems before they can make you sick. HPEPH recommends testing your well water a minimum of four times a year. Many residents rely on drilled, dug, or bored wells to supply water for drinking and other household uses. Groundwater is a shared resource that crosses property lines, and contamination from one well can put other wells at risk. To protect yourself and others, be sure to test your well water for bacterial contamination.

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to test their drinking water to ensure it is safe. Homeowners are encouraged to test as often as needed (bacteriological tests are free), and it is recommended to do so at least seasonally. Homeowners should also test well water any time issues are experienced with quality or quantity (e.g. flooding or drought).

While the HPEPH offices are currently closed to allow them to respond to the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, FREE water testing kits are still available in Bancroft, Belleville, and Trenton. This is the current, updated and revised schedule, taken from the HPEPH website: REVISION – WATER SAMPLE PICK-UP / DROP-OFF SCHEDULE ONLY at the following HPEPH locations and times: Belleville, 179 North Park Street, 613-966-5500, Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 4:00pm. Trenton, 499 Dundas Street West, 613-966-5500, Monday to Thursday, 8:30am to 12 noon. Bancroft 1P Manor Lane, PSB, L1-024, 1-800-267-2803 Tuesday and Thursday, 8:30 am – 12 noon.

During this pandemic things change quickly so for more information check the HPEPH website at www.hpepublichealth.ca . Seniors 60+ are encouraged to contact Community Care if they need a ride to their vaccination appointment. In many cases these rides are provided for free. Don’t let transportation keep you from getting the jab.

Call 613-476-7493 today.

-Debbie MacDonald Moynes