Drinking Water Testing Being Offered for a Reduced Price by Clark County UW-Extension
Thursday, March 19th, 2015 -- 11:30 AM
More than 60-percent of Clark County residents get their drinking water from a private well. Homeowners, who use a private well and rely on groundwater for their drinking water, are responsible for making sure their water is safe to drink. Results from the 2014 Clark County Drinking Water Testing and Education Program show that 37% of the private wells tested in the county contained contaminants that made the drinking water unsafe.On September 15 2014, more than 75 households in Clark County participated in Clark County's Drinking Water Education Program. These homeowners had their drinking water tested at the Water & Environmental Analysis Lab (WEAL) in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. Most homeowners found out that their water is safe to drink. Yet, some homeowners were surprised to learn that their drinking water has nitrates, bacteria, and other contaminants, such as arsenic, copper or lead and that their water was unsafe to drink.
This spring the Clark County Land Conservation Department is teaming up with UW-Extension and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Center for Watershed Science and Education to offer Clark County residents another chance to participate in drinking water testing and education. The testing being offered includes nitrates, bacteria, pH, alkalinity, hardness, conductivity, corrosivity, chloride, arsenic, lead, copper, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, and the pesticide atrazine.
Normally these tests would cost $120, but the Clark County Land Conservation Department is offering the testing at a reduced price of $50. The reduced price testing will only be offered to the first 100 households to pre-register. However, anyone is welcome to sample their drinking water at any other time of the year at full price.
Households who would like to participate need to pick up sampling bottles on Wednesday April 1or Thursday April 2 at one of two locations in Clark County. Pick up locations are located in Neillsville and Owen. On Monday April 6, participants collect their water samples in the morning and return them as soon as possible to the same place they picked up their bottles. The samples will be analyzed at WEAL the next day.
Approximately one month after water samples are collected, participants can attend a free educational program where they will learn about their drinking water testing results, learn about Clark County's groundwater quality and quantity, and have an opportunity to get their specific drinking water questions answered.
Pre-registration is required. The deadline to pre-register is March 25.To pre-register call the UW-Extension Department at 715-743-5121. For more information about this opportunity, call the Land Conservation Department at 715-743-5102.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.