Taking Care of yOur Ground Water: a DVD for private well and septic owners.

Well and septic owners have a direct connection to ground-water resources and play a critical role in protecting those resources. Through an understanding of proper well and septic system protection, maintenance, and monitoring homeowners can take steps to facilitate ground-water protection. This audience is wide spread and growing throughout the Northern Plains and Mountains (NP&M) region. In 2007 Montana State University, with their partners from the NP&M National Water Program initiated the development of an educational DVD for private well and septic system owners. A primary 15 minute video was produced covering the basic function of well and septic systems and how these systems fit into the hydrologic cycle. The video uses homeowner interviews, conversations with professionals, footage, and 3D animation to illustrate the critical points. Seven additional chapters were also produced covering individual topics in more detail for a total production time of approximately an hour and 15 minutes. The video has been distributed across the NP&M region through existing well owner education programs as well as through professional sanitation organizations. Preliminary feedback from both the professional and the homeowner audience is very positive. Homeowners have indicated that they have taken steps to further protect their ground water resources as a result of viewing the video.