GILPIN COUNTY – The Gilpin County Public Health Department and the Gilpin County CSU Extension service held a joint meeting on February 11, 2025, at the Gilpin Library that focused on three home environmental issues: radon gas, wells, and septic systems. The event drew about 20 people in person and another 15 online.

The meeting was a primer on how homes interact with the environment and what homeowners can do to keep their homes functioning in harmony with the environment. The audience was able to ask questions after each segment.

The first segment of the meeting dealt with detecting radon gases in the home. Community Health Specialist Marie Larson reviewed the data regarding health risks of breathing this colorless and orderless gas.

Larson described the short- and long-term tests used to detect radon gas in a home and how to interpret the tests. In the last part of her presentation, Larson showed photos of homes that had fans and vents installed to mitigate the radon gas build up.

Public Health Director Alisa Witt and Gilpin CSU Extension Agent Jennifer Cook teamed up to present the second segment on water wells.

Wells are the primary source of drinking water for homes in Gilpin County outside the towns. Maintaining clean drinking water in a home requires regular tests of well water for bacteria or heavy metals.

Gilpin Public Health has water test kits and can test for coliform bacteria and E. coli. The test kit can be picked up at the Public Health office. The Colorado Public Health Department has more extensive water tests that can detect harmful metals like lead or arsenic. There are also private water testing labs that charge for their services.

Witt advised testing wells if there is a change in the color or taste of the water coming from the faucet, or if there has been a physical disturbance around the well.

The third and final segment of the meeting, about septic systems—which are technically called Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS)—dealt with maintaining or replacing these systems. Witt went over the different types of treatment systems used in Gilpin County and showed a video on how an OWTS works.

Witt pointed out that if the ground above a leach field is wet and mushy then the system has probably failed and needs to be replaced. She recommended having septic tanks emptied on a regular schedule. There is a chart that shows how often to empty the tank depending on the number of bedrooms in the house.

The meeting ended with some visual demonstrations of how water tables and wells work and the risks of ground water contamination.

For more information about radon tests, water tests, or septic permits, contact the Gilpin County Public Health Department at 303-582-5803. Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.