Northwest Iowa — Most people believe their well water is safe. But some well owners don’t know that they should test, and some don’t know how to get testing done or what to look for — that’s from officials with the Iowa Well Survey project.
The Iowa State Hygienic Laboratory is now accepting volunteers for the Spring 2019 Iowa Well Survey. The samples will be taken in April and May of this year and will be tested for bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, manganese, lead, and copper.
They hope to test about 25 wells per participating county. County sanitarians generally choose the wells included in the survey, but all Iowans with a private well are encouraged to contact their local environmental health sanitarian for testing through the Grants-to-Counties Program.
Officials tell us that the goals of the survey are to promote private well testing for the health and wellness of Iowans, contribute to a broader long-term understanding of the prevalence and distribution of various contaminants, and further enhance the utilization of program resources.
In Lyon County, you can contact Joel Moser at (712) 470-3820. In O’Brien County, the sanitarian is Jonathon Hintz, and he can be reached at (712) 957-0105. Osceola County’s sanitarian is Steve Van Kley, and his number is (712) 754-3765. And in Sioux County, the person to call is Ken Oldenkamp at (712) 737-2248. Your county health department can also steer you in the right direction.
