By LLNRD Information Specialist, Brant Bechtold
With the issue of nitrate pollution in Nebraska’s drinking water being at the forefront of the water conservation conversation in Nebraska, and the topic of extensive press coverage, now is a great time to test your private well. Testing your drinking water supply is easy, affordable, and the results will let you know what actions can be taken to make your drinking water the safest it can be. The Lower Loup NRD samples thousands of groundwater wells annually and mails a report to owners that includes year-to-year nitrate readings. If your well is not registered, and you would like to register it, you can obtain the proper forms at www.llnrd.org.
Private testing facilities, such as Ward Laboratories in Kearney, offer a variety of water tests. Irrigation wells can be tested for water quality, wells supplying stock tanks can be tested for livestock suitability, and domestic wells can be tested for nitrate or coliform/E. coli. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services also offers testing kits.
Results from those samples can be used to apply for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy’s Private Well Reverse Osmosis Rebate Program. This program allows citizens to get up to $4,000 for installing reverse osmosis systems for wells testing above the Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum nitrate contaminant level for safe drinking water, which is 10 parts per million. For more information on this program and how to apply, please visit www.dee.ne.gov.
Caption: LLNRD Water Resources Technician Harold Benton takes samples from a domestic well.
