Farm and Home Waste Management: Assessing Drinking Water Contamination Risk

For each category listed on the left that is appropriate to your situation, click the box under rank 1-4 that best applies. Your "rank number" will then be genrated on the right.

Glossary for this Fact Worksheet

Information for this Fact Worksheet (PDF)

 

Please Select Your County:

Solid Waste (Addressed in Sections 1 and 2)
 
Low Risk
(rank 4)
Low-Mod Risk
(rank 3)
Mod-High Risk
(rank 2)
High Risk
(rank 1)
Your Rank
1. Homestead trash disposal-including household hazardous waste & containers Amount of waste minimized through careful purchase, recycling, or reusing, and sharing with others whenever possible. All hazardous products separated out and taken to household
hazardous waste collection day. Remainder disposed
of in approved landfill.		 Some products recycled or reused, but little done to reduce amount of waste. Some hazardous products separated out. Disposal in approved landfill. Little or no recycling or reusing of products. No hazardous products separated out. Disposal in unapproved landfill or dump. Little or no recycling or reusing of products. No hazardous products separated out. Disposal on property.

 

 

Automotive Equipment And Maintenance Products (Addressed in Section 3)
2. Drips and spills Contained on paved area with absorbent material. Absorbent materials disposed of at approved landfill. Contained on paved area with absorbent material. Absorbent material disposed of at an unapproved landfill or dump. Drips and spills uncontained. Occasional flushing onto property. Drips and spills uncontained. Frequent flushing onto property near well.

 

 
3. Vehicle Batteries Taken to battery recycler or hazardous waste collection event/facility or trade-in at battery store. No storage. Used batteries taken to approved landfill and stored away from well. Used batteries taken to unapproved landfill or dump and stored near well. Disposal of batteries on property or batteries stored near well.

 

 
4. Oil, grease, and lubricants Taken to used oil recycler or hazardous waste collection event/facility. Reused for lubrication. Burned for heat in an approved space heater. Liquids absorbed and disposed of at approved landfill. Stored away from well. Disposal at unapproved landfill or dump and storage on property. Storage and disposal on property near well.

 

 
5. Containers Empty containers taken to approved landfill if not recyclable. Empty containers disposed at unapproved landfill or dump. Disposal of empty
containers on property. 		Disposal of empty
containers near well or disposal of partially filled containers on property.

 

 
6. Antifreeze Product reused, recycled or taken to approved hazardous waste
collection site/event.		 Disposed to municipal sewage treatment system with permission or liquids absorbed and disposed of at approved landfill or dump. Disposed at unapproved landfill or dump. Liquids not absorbed. Dumped on property, or in on-site sewage treatment system.

 

 
7. Gasoline and other fuel Leftover fuels used up, or taken to service station or hazardous waste
collection site/event. No fuels disposed of on homestead.		 Leftover fuels absorbed and taken to an approved landfill. Leftover fuels stored and disposed on property or at dump. Waste fuels spilled, dumped, or poured on ground around property near well.

 

 
8. Unused Products, i.e. rust remover, solvents, aerosol carburator cleaner Used up or shared with someone else or taken to hazardous waste
collection site or event.		 Liquid evaporated in open air. Sludge or leftover product disposed at approved landfill. Disposal at unapproved landfill or dump. Disposal on property.

 

 
See sections 1-5, Fact/Worksheet 4, Petroleum Product Storage, to determine the risks presented to your drinking water from fuel storage practices.

Farm And Household Pesticides (Addressed in Section 4 and Pesticide Fact/Worksheet, Section 4)
9. Unused or banned pesticides Unused pesticides returned to place of purchase or taken to a state or federal pesticide collection event. Pesticides used up
according to label or disposed at approved landfill, if not a hazardous waste.		 Disposal of pesticides at unapproved landfill or dump. Disposal of pesticides on property.

 

 
10. Containers Container disposed of through recycling program or returned to dealer. Empty containers disposed of at approved landfill. Containers triple rinsed if they contain an acute hazardous waste. Empty containers disposed of on property. Disposal of partially filled containers on property.

 

 
See section 5, Fact/Worksheet 2, Pesticide Storage and Handling, to determine the risks presented to your drinking water from pesticide handling practices.

Building And Wood Maintenance Products (Addressed in Section 5)
11. Paints and stains Used up or shared with someone else or taken to a collection site/event. Liquids absorbed with kitty litter and taken to an approved landfill. Disposal of oil-based paints or stains at landfill or dump. Latex paint disposal on property away from well. Disposal of oil-based paints or stain on property. Latex paint disposal near well.

 

 
12. Strippers, thinners, and cleaners Spills contained. Unused products used up, recycled or taken to hazardous waste collection site/event. Liquids absorbed with kitty litter and taken to an approved landfill. Disposal of sludge, stripper, cleaner, or thinner at unapproved landfill/dump. Disposal on property.

 

 
13. Unused products: caulks, glues, and adhesives Used up or shared with someone else or taken to hazardous waste
collection site/event.		 Liquid absorbed with kitty litter and taken to an approved landfill. Disposal at unapproved landfill or dump. Disposal on property.

 

 
Boldface type in high risk column: Besides representing a higher-risk choice, this practice also violates Idaho law.