AUSTIN — More than 2,000 households in Mower County townships this year will receive a free nitrate-testing kit from the state for their property’s well.
Nitrate is one of the most common ground water pollutants found in rural areas. Drinking water with high nitrate concentrations can cause serious health effects in infants. The presence of nitrate also could be an indicator of other pollutants in water.
Mower Soil and Water Conservation District has teamed with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to bring free nitrate testing of wells to 12 of the Mower County’s 20 townships. People in the select townships with household wells will receive a free nitrate test kit in the mail starting in May, along with information about the program. Each participant’s personal information will be kept confidential.
Townships targeted by the program will include Austin, Bennington, Frankford, Lansing, LeRoy, Lyle, Nevada, Pleasant Valley, Racine, Red Rock, Udolpho and Windom. MDA evaluated Mower County townships for aquifer vulnerability and proportion of land in row crop production.
Starting in mid-May, MDA officials will mail about 250 kits per week to Mower County households. Mailings will be done in alphabetical order of townships, with Austin Township getting kits first and Windom Township last.
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In general, townships selected for the nitrate sampling program have greater than 30 percent of its land area identified as having vulnerable geology and have at least 20 percent of the land area in row crop production.
Participation in the test will help Mower County get a better understanding of local nitrate levels and provide homeowners with information about their drinking water.
For more information, call Mower SWCD at 507-434-2603, ext. 5, or email resource specialist Steve Lawler at steve.lawler@mowerswcd.org.
