Keeping private well water safe: Private Well Stewardship Program set for September 8

The Allamakee and Winneshiek County Extension offices will host a no-cost, one-hour learning session for private well owners September 8. The program will help attendees understand their well’s water quality and connect them to resources to manage their well.

Not many know that Iowa has a unique funding source for free or low-cost annual testing of private wells, or that some water pollutants are odorless, tasteless and will not be removed by boiling water. Anyone curious about those topics should take advantage of the upcoming learning session which will detail how to test a private well and who can help, common contaminants, and factors that affect well water quality.

The program will be taught by Catherine DeLong, Water Quality Program Manager for Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach. According to DeLong, “About 230,000 Iowans rely on private wells as their home’s main water source, yet many do not know they should be testing once a year and that Iowa has a unique funding source to help cover the cost of testing.”

The local program will take place Tuesday, September 8 from 6-7:15 p.m. at the Empty Nest Winery located at 1352 Apple Road in rural Waukon. Pre-registration is requested; to pre-register for the program contact the Winneshiek County Extension office by phone at 563-382-2949 or by email at alliemc@iastate.edu, or the Allamakee County Extension office by phone at 563-568-6345 or by email at dholthe@iastate.edu.

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