This free water test kit offer comes to you courtesy of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development through the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program with the Allegan Conservation District.

Why test for nitrates?

While not considered a substantial health risk in lower quantities and concentrations, as they occur naturally in many foods and get used to preserve and cure meat products, but concentrations in excess of 10 mg/L (1 mg/L = 1 part per million) in drinking water pose a health risk to young children under the age of 6 months old, expecting mothers, nursing mothers, and the elderly.

Why 10 mg/L?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency set the ‘action’ limit for nitrates in drinking water at 10 mg/L, meaning a public water system would need to immediately take steps to reduce nitrate concentrations in the water

Due to most water well contamination by nitrates and nitrites coming from surface runoff, shallow wells therefore stand the greatest chance of having higher than acceptable levels of nitrates and nitrites. Health officials and well water professionals typically suggest that all drinking water obtained from wells get tested annually for — at the very least — nitrates, nitrites, and coliform bacteria.

Also, if you just had a new well installed, or work done on your existing water well, you should have the water tested prior to using water from the well for drinking or cooking purposes.

For more information on the free water testing offer in Allegan County, Michigan, you can visit their web site www.allegancd.org or you can contact Ana at at 269-673-6940, ext. 5.

Source http://www.mlive.com/wayland/index.ssf/2016/04/free_water_testing_will_be_off.html

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Office of Water Quality (OWQ) recently announced that it would offer residential well owners the opportunity to have their water tested for several critical water quality parameters as part of a statewide Ground Water Monitoring Network.

Tests included in the free well water testing program include testing for: metals, nitrate-nitrite, VOCs, SOCs, alkalinity, pesticide degradates, and other general chemistry indicators. The testing will get conducted free of charge for up to 400 qualified private water well owners across the state.

Eligibility for the program: Each well must be get registered in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) water well database and each well must have an untreated spigot located outdoors that IDEM staff can easily access.

If interested in having your well water tested as part of this program, please visit http://www.in.gov/idem/6892.htm or contact Kevin Spindler by phone at 317-234-3243 for additional information.

Why test your well water?

We routinely get emails from folks asking why they should test their well water periodically. They say things like ‘my water looks fine’ or ‘it tastes the same as it has for years’ and we respond by telling them potentially harmful levels of contaminants such as coliform bacteria, nitrates/nitrites, heavy metals, arsenic, etc. impart little or no taste, smell or color to well water… and can infiltrate underground water sources without warning.

Roughly 96 percent of the U.S. rural population relies upon ground water, the water filling the cracks and porous areas between rock and sand, for fresh drinking water. Additionally, in the United States approximately 79.6 billion gallons per day of fresh groundwater get used by the public for irrigation, watering livestock, manufacturing processes, mining operations, thermoelectric power generation, and other purposes. ( source )
In Illinois: Thanks to sponsorship by the Central Regional Groundwater Committee, the Tazewell County Health Department, Peoria County Health Department, Woodford County Health Department, and the Mason Soil and Water Conservation will offer free private water testing for private well owners in Tazewell, Peoria, Woodford and Mason Counties.

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) suggests routine well maintenance checks to help ensure water quality and proper operation of the well. As part of regular well maintenance, the NGWA also suggests that owners of prove water wells have their water tested (at least) annually or when well owner’s notice a change in their water’s taste, color, odor, or appearance.

Well water also should get tested in the event that the well head gets submerged by surface water (i.e. during a flood) or after the well head gets unsealed for service work.

Private well owners may collect free sample bottles from the Tazewell County Health Department, Peoria County Health Department, Woodford County Health Department or Mason County Soil and Water Conservation and drop off samples for free water testing between 8:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. on March 9th, 10th and 11th during Groundwater Awareness Week. Samples will get tested for nitrates and total coliform bacteria. This offer available only to private well owners.

Using on-the-spot field tests for nitrates and arsenic, representatives from the IRWA will offer free well water testing and provide information and advice on how local residents can lower contaminants in their drinking water (if present), how to prevent contamination of their water wells, and how to properly maintain their water wells.

How to take a water sample…

In order to get the most accurate water test results we suggest keeping the following tips in mind when collecting your sample:

• Use a container about 16 ounces (1 pint) in size and make certain to wash the container with warm, soapy water first. Thoroughly rinse the container to remove all traces of the soap.
   
• If you have a water softener or water filter installed, make sure you collect your water sample from a line before it enters the softener or filter. Often times a faucet or spigot on the outside of the house may work well for this purpose since many are not tied into the whole house water filtration systems.
   
• Allow the water to run for 20 or 30 seconds before collecting your sample.
   
• Collect your sample as close to the time you intend to leave the house as possible and try not to let the water sit for too long between collection and testing.

Residents of Payette County with questions about the free water testing may contact call Adrianna Hummer at (208) 392-3576.

What if we don’t live in Payette County?

Often times you can check with your local health department to see if they offer free or reduced rate water testing. If that does not work out, our Water Test Kit Store offers simple, at-home drinking water test kits for nitrates and arsenic as well as a number of other potential well water contaminants and critical water quality parameters.

Farmers in the region contended with devastating droughts last year which caused corn crops to struggle in the sun drenched, hard arid soil. Since the crops did not develop like usual, they therefore did not soak up as much of the nitrates (from fertilizer) as they normally would and the excess sat on the ground until record-breaking and near record-breaking periods of rainfall this Spring.

Now everyone in the region has their eye on nitrate levels in the major rivers which, if allowed to get too high, could cause a whole lot of drinking water contamination problems for around 45% of Iowa residents… because many municipalities in Iowa draw their drinking water from bodies of surface water.

As an example of how elevated nitrate levels have already started to affect people besides farmers, one municipality has recently re-activated a very expensive nitrate removal system that costs an estimated $7,000 per day to operate. That extra $7k a day in expenses naturally will get passed on to customers and cause a spike in their water bills.

Why do corn fields contain so many nitrates?

According to what we have read, growing corn properly requires the use of more nitrogen rich fertilizer than a lot of other crops. Therefore, if a growing season’s corn crop does not consume all of the nutrients farmers put down, it sits in the soil waiting for next year’s planting season or a good, heavy rain to wash it away.

Nitrates a danger to humans?

In the past we wrote about a condition known as Blue Baby Syndrome which you can read about in an article called Testing for Nitrates Drinking Water. For those not interested in reading the article, we will sum up the takeaway points for you:

• Experts believe nitrates may hinder the ability of a baby’s body to properly carry oxygen in the bloodstream. By baby we mean an infant up to roughly six months of age.
   
• Health officials warn pregnant women not to consume water containing nitrate levels 10 mg/L (ppm) or higher.
   
• Medical professionals warn parents and caregivers against preparing formula bottles using water that contains nitrate levels 10 mg/L (ppm) or higher.

Now that you know nitrates in drinking water can cause health problems and that the US Environmental Protection Agency has set the MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level) for nitrates in drinking water at 10 mg/L (ppm), you may find yourself asking, “How can I test for nitrates in my water?”

Testing for nitrates in drinking water

In agricultural areas and after regional flooding we have seen a number of cases where local health departments have offered free or reduced rate nitrate testing as well as testing for other critical water quality parameters like coliform bacteria. We suggest contacting your local health department to see if they have any discounted water testing programs available.

If no such programs exist in your area, you can always perform nitrate testing on your own using products like the WaterWorks Nitrate & Nitrite Test Strips which provide fast, accurate on-the-spot water test results… and don’t cost a small fortune.

On the complete opposite end of the expense spectrum you could have your water tested by a certified water testing lab by mail. National Testing Laboratories offers a well water testing package called Well-Check that includes tests for bacteria (total coliform and e-coli), 19 heavy metals and minerals (including lead, arsenic and mercury), 6 inorganic chemicals (including nitrates and fluoride) and 5 physical factors (including pH and hardness). Test results typically get emailed to customers within 10 to 14 days.

Removing or reducing nitrates in drinking water?

Should you have the misfortune of finding out you have elevated levels of nitrates in your drinking water you will more than likely want to reduce those levels. For that you will need a water filtration system. While selecting a water filter make certain you read through the list of contaminants that each filter takes out because not all drinking water filters currently on the market will remove nitrates.

Below you will find several models of water filters that WILL help reduce nitrate levels in well water, tap water, city water, surface water, etc. The models below range from a simple disposable counter top model for nitrate removal all the way up to a whole house filter for nitrate removal.

An ex-employee at an asphalt company has come forward recently with allegations that higher-ups in the company encouraged him to submit fake water samples (taken from a rainwater collection bucket) and submit them for testing by the Oregon Department of Transportation… because the higher-ups feared actual testing of their waste water stream would reveal code violations.

Nothing makes the taste of fresh, clean drinking water vanish quite like… runoff from an asphalt plant, right? Even just saying that to ourselves as we put together this blog posting turned our stomachs.

So, if unlike ourselves you actually believe all of required environmental testing gets done in the proper manner, perhaps now you will see things a bit differently and start testing your water on, at the very least, a semi-regular basis?

Think we made up this story? Not! Read the source article here.

Common water contaminants to test for?

Although far more sinister compounds and elements exist in our world that could enter our water supply (i.e. organic solvents, radioactive isotopes, etc.), we routinely suggest testing for heavy metals as a good starting point because whether you have city/municipal water or your water comes from a well or spring, metals can pretty much always — under the right circumstances — find a way into the water supply.

• Well casings typically get made out of metal.

• City/Municipal water must travel through miles of metal piping before it gets to one’s residence.

• Water extracted from wells comes in contact with rocks and soil that all contain traces of metals.

• While most homes these days contain plastic plumbing, many older homes still contain metallic plumbing (copper w/ lead-laced solder at the joints) plumbing… and metal lines get used to connect most homes (regardless of age) to the municipal water system.

What should I test for next?

After dissolved metals in water testing things get a bit murky. Pardon the expression.

Folks with well water may want to test for all sorts of things such as nitrates, nitrites, coliform bacteria (important!), hydrogen sulfide, arsenic, etc. while folks on city water may want to test for specific metals such as copper and lead, total hardness, free chlorine, total chlorine, etc.

No matter what type of water you have going into your home, school or place of business, only regular testing of the water’s quality will let you know if you have anything to worry about when it comes to the safety and purity of the water you drink.

The Benton Soil & Water Conservation District and Minnesota Department of Agriculture are conducting the nitrate clinic from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Aug. 1 and 2. The clinic will be at the SWCD’s fair booth in the Education Building.

Nitrate is a common contaminant, particularly in shallow wells, dug wells and wells with damaged or leaking casings. Nitrates can come from fertilizers, animal waste and human sewage. It is tasteless, odorless and colorless. ( source )

Nitrates’ undetectable nature (except by testing. see nitrate/nitrite test strips) makes it a potentially dangerous well and drinking water contaminant. Unborn children, infants and small children can become very ill and possibly even die from prolonged exposure to elevated nitrate levels in their drinking water (see Blue Baby Syndrome).

Nitrate’s effects on older children and adults remains unclear at this time but some health experts have tentatively linked prolonged exposure to higher than normal nitrate levels with serious illnesses like lymphoma.

More free nitrate testing in Minnesota

For those not able to get out to the Benton County Fair to take advantage of the free nitrate testing the Benton Benton Soil & Water Conservation District located at 14 Second Ave. W in Foley, MN offers local residents free nitrate testing during office hours during the week. Interested parties may call 968-5300, Extension 3 or email Adam@soilandwater.org.

Testing for nitrates elsewhere

As we learn of more free and/or discounted well water testing offers we will post them on the site. In the meantime, if you would like to perform testing of your well water yourself we recommend the WaterWorks Nitrate & Nitrite Test Strips currently available in our Water Test Kit Store. While not as awesome a deal as free testing, you can get 50 tests for around $14 and you can get the water test kit you need in just a few days.

ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment will offer a free nitrate water-testing clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. June 5 at the Scandia Town Hall.

…

“Nitrates in drinking water can be a risk to human health,” MDA Commissioner Dave Frederickson said. “Public drinking water supplies are monitored for nitrates, but it’s important for homeowners with private wells to check their water and take action if their water has high nitrates levels.”

…

Samples will be analyzed on the spot since the process usually takes less than five minutes. Results will be given directly to the homeowner. If the nitrate level in a sample is elevated, clinic staff can refer the homeowner to certified labs that will retest the water.

The Scandia Town Hall is at 14727 209th St. North, in Scandia. Contact Wendy Griffin at 651-275-1136, ext. 24 for details. ( source )

Owners of private wells need to stay vigilant when it comes to monitoring nitrate levels in their well water — especially if the wells service homes containing small children and/or pregnant women. Scientists have positively linked elevated nitrate levels in drinking water to incidents of methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome.

In cases of blue baby syndrome, the nitrates get absorbed into the blood by hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying component of blood) which gets converted to methemoglobin… and methemoglobin does not carry oxygen nearly as efficiently as hemoglobin. This, in turn, results in lowered oxygen levels in the bloodstream and organs such as the brain then receive lower than needed amounts of oxygen.

Prolonged deprivation of oxygen flowing to the brain becomes particularly problematic for infants and young children since their blood cannot convert the methemoglobin back to hemoglobin and the brain, in extreme cases, can become damaged.

In truly extreme cases of blue baby syndrome the brain, and its owner, can die.

Protecting your drinking water source

A study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency roughly 20 years ago found that more than 50 percent of the private wells tested had traces of nitrates in their water — and we highly doubt that number has decreased since that time.

While the majority of nitrate contamination incidents take place in or around rural areas occupied by agricultural industries and activities, improperly installed or poorly placed wells in non-agricultural areas often get contaminated, as well.

When considering the location for a new well make certain the well will not reside within 100 feet of feed areas, regions that will get treated with fertilizers on a regular basis, barns, livestock pens, septic tanks, sewage discharge pipes, or places where chemicals of any kind will get stored. Oh, and PLEASE do not forget to place the well UPHILL from any of the aforementioned potential contamination sources.

Got a well on your property that no longer gets used? Did you know that it could easily serve as an entry point for unwanted contamination if not properly sealed or capped? Making sure old and/or abandoned wells have the correct protection over them will help ensure that the aquifer below remains untainted by contaminants on the surface near the well heads.

And finally, do not over-fertilize lawns, crops, etc. Nutrients not absorbed by the plants will wind up in runoff that will eventually find its way into the ground water supply.

Removing nitrates from drinking water?

Not all drinking water filters sold will remove nitrates and/or nitrites from ground, well and drinking water. The models below range from a simple disposable counter top model for nitrate removal all the way up to a whole house filter for nitrate removal.