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New Video Highlights Importance of Private Well Testing and Maintenance in Southeast Minnesota

SWCD, OC, TAPIN, CWLLA Logos

Thousands of residents in Southeast Minnesota rely on private wells for drinking water. As a private well user, you are responsible for testing your water and maintaining your well system. This educational video, “Tap-In, Safe Drinking Water for Private Well Users”, was created to provide private well users with the information they need to protect their water quality.

TAP IN stands for:
Test your water
Ask a professional
Protect your water quality
Inspect your well and septic system
Note important information

These educational materials are a result of the Tap-In Initiative, a collaborative effort between Olmsted, Fillmore, Goodhue, Root River, and Wabasha Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs) and Winona County. The “Tap In” initiative has a primary goal of improving drinking water throughout Southeast Minnesota.

Financial Assistance for Water Treatment

There is funding available to assist private well owners with nitrate contamination problems in Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties.

To qualify for the funding, applicants must have a water quality test report indicating that their nitrate contamination exceeds the state and federal Health Risk Limit (HRL) of 10 mg/L. The water quality test will be considered valid if the analysis was performed by a certified laboratory within the last 3 years. The private water supply must also be used as a source of potable drinking water for the residence to qualify for financial assistance.

Additional cost share is available for private well owners that meet financial hardship criteria.

For more information on how to apply, please visit the Olmsted County Water Resources website and select the “Available Financial Assistance” tab under the “Private Wells and Groundwater” section. 

What is Nitrate?

Nitrate is a compound that naturally forms when nitrogen combines with oxygen or ozone. While nitrogen is essential for all living things, high nitrate levels (10mg/L) in drinking water could pose harmful risks, especially to infants and pregnant women.

Nitrate can occur naturally in surface and groundwater without causing health problems. However, high nitrate levels in well water often result from improper well construction and location. Improper disposal of human and animal waste or the overuse of chemical fertilizers can further increase nitrate levels. Sources of nitrate that can enter your well include fertilizers, septic systems, animal feedlots, industrial waste, and food processing waste. After flooding, wells could become more vulnerable to contamination, especially if the wells are shallow, poorly constructed, dug or bored, or submerged by floodwater for long periods.

Funding
Funding for this project was provided by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Fund through a grant from the Minnesota Department of Health.

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Media Contact: Sue Struckmann | 507-328-7070 | pwservice@co.olmsted.mn.us

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