District Blogs

Safe drinking water is important to your health. Testing your private well's water quality on a regular basis is necessary to maintain a safe and reliable source of drinking water. As an individual water system owner, it is up to you to make sure that your water is safe to consume. Unfortunately, there is no single test that tells you if water is safe. There are many waterborne contaminants that can cause illnesses if enough are present in your water. Unless a specific contam

It’s that time of year when we can see turtles basking in the sun. If you have a pond, or hike at a wetland area such as Gilmore Ponds Metropark, perhaps you will be lucky enough to spot some. Here is some helpful information to assist you with the identification of the shelled critters that you find. Aquatic: Common Musk These tiny turtles, reaching only 3-4.5” in size, look very plain, with the skin and shell often being similar in color. They have a ridge along the length

Now that its getting cold out and your garden is going dormant, it's time to winterize your rain barrel. You don't want the water in it to freeze and expand! Start by draining your rain barrel. Be careful as a full rain barrel is heavy, a gallon of water weighs more than 8 lbs., so a full rain barrel can weigh over 400 lbs. Disconnect it from your downspout, so that it can't fill and freeze. If your downspout convertor leaves a hole when disconnected, attach the winter cap to

As the temperature begins to drop and the days become shorter, perhaps the last thing on your mind is yard work. Winter is right around the corner, so now is a great time to prepare your yard before the cold and wet months. Here are some tips from Butler Soil and Water Conservation District to ensure a healthy lawn for next year. Leaf management: It may be tempting to let the colorful leaves stay on your lawn for a while, but if you want healthy yard, it is important to preve