Free workshops help Iowa well owners protect drinking water

With support from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering free Private Well Stewardship Program workshops across the state this spring to help Iowans protect their drinking water.

About 7% of Iowans-roughly 230,000 people-rely on private wells as their primary water source, according to Catherine DeLong, water quality program manager with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. While annual testing is recommended by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 5% to 10% of households test their water each year.

The workshops, held in several locations throughout March and April, connect private well owners with local experts and resources to test and manage their water.

Sessions cover testing basics, common contaminants and factors that affect water quality. Participants are also connected to county environmental health specialists and the state's Private Well Grant Program, which offers free or low-cost testing in every Iowa county.

"Private well owners play a central role in ensuring the safety of their own drinking water, but they shouldn't have to do it alone," said Shawn Richmond, Iowa Farm Bureau's conservation and environmental policy advisor. "Our goal is to help Iowans access the information, testing services and local expertise they need to create a support system they can count on."

More information on workshop times and locations is available at https://naturalresources.extension.iastate.edu/programs/private-well-stewardship-program.