FREE drinking water screening clinic September 21st

Residents are encouraged to take advantage of free drinking water screening clinics offered by St. Croix County. The fourth free nitrate screening clinic of 2020 will be offered at Somerset Town Hall (748 HWY 35, Somerset, WI 54025) on Monday, September 21st, 2020 from 2:00 to 6:00 pm.This will be the final free nitrate screening clinic for 2020, however more nitrate screening clinics will be planned for 2021. This program is offered to educate homeowners on how to monitor and protect their drinking water supply.

The event has been modified to address the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines advised by local, state, and federal public health officials. Modifications include signage and tape to ensure 6ft distancing between participants, utilization of clear partitions at the water analysis station, frequent cleaning of the water analysis station, and available hand sanitizer for participants. If you plan to attend the event, you must wear a mask and practice social distancing amongst participants and staff by following the signs and taped floors at the event.

The clinic is open to any St. Croix County residents who are interested in testing their private well. Participants are asked to bring in about eight ounces of water in a closed container, preferably glass, collected within 24 hours of the clinic event. It is important to run the tap for 10 to 15 minutes on cold at full flow before collecting the sample. A video tutorial can be found on the County website. Participants who have more than one private well may bring in a sample from each well. Samples brought in on behalf of family and friends are also welcome. Residents with water treatment systems, such as reverse osmosis, may bring in a sample pre and post treatment, contact the county for further assistance if needed, 715-381-4933 or cole.webster@sccwi.gov.

Most rural residents rely on a private well for their drinking water. Owning a private well is a responsibility and ensuring the water supply is safe is the homeowners’ responsibility. If you have a private well, you should test your water annually, even if you do not observe any smells, stains or changes in the taste of your drinking water. The clinic screens for nitrate-nitrogen because of growing water quality concerns and potential health risks for pregnant women, and children under the age of 6 months, as well as concerns related to thyroid disease and certain types of cancer.

The nitrate analysis results are provided on-site, and staff will be available to discuss and interpret the results and advise further action as needed.

To have your water tested for nitrate-nitrogen, please consider attending this or future screening clinics.