DEQ seeks participation in private well sampling event in Burley, Idaho

July 18, 2025

Contact: Nicholas Howell, Source Water Protection Analyst, [email protected]

BURLEY - The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is reaching out to private well owners in the Marsh Creek Nitrate Priority Area, located in the Burley area south of the Snake River, to participate in a private well sampling event.

The sampling event will test for nitrates, bacteria, and common ions at private wells, and will take place in September and October of this year. Participation is free and well owners will receive a copy of the results. To participate, contact Nicholas Howell at (208)736-3870 or [email protected] by August 25, 2025.

DEQ maintains a list of degraded groundwater areas throughout the state, which are referred to as nitrate priority areas. The Burley sampling event is designed to revisit sites in the Marsh Creek Nitrate Priority Area sampled by other state agencies prior to 2010. The sampling will also include new locations to update the nitrate concentration data in this region. Outcomes will help DEQ better understand nitrate levels in the aquifer and help local decision makers implement best management practices. Once results are analyzed, information will be provided to the private well owners, which can be used to help protect the quality of their well water and the health of those relying on it.

Groundwater provides over 95% of Idaho's drinking water and nitrate is the most common and widespread contaminant in groundwater. Nitrate exposure can have serious health effects, but certain groups are particularly vulnerable, including people with pre-existing health conditions, pregnant women, and young children under the age of six months. Infants who drink water containing nitrate above the maximum contaminant limit can become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue-baby syndrome, also known as Methemoglobinemia. This condition can occur rapidly, over the course of just a few days. Do not attempt to remove nitrate from drinking water by boiling it. This will concentrate nitrate levels.