August 19, 2024
Contact: Nicholas Howell, Source Water Protection Analyst, Nicholas.Howell@deq.idaho.gov
TWIN FALLS – The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is extending the deadline for private well owners to participate in a private well sampling program in Twin Falls County, Idaho.
Participants now have until August 30, 2024, to sign up. To participate, contact Nicholas Howell at (208) 736-2190 or Nicholas.Howell@deq.idaho.gov.
The sampling event will test for nitrates, arsenic, bacteria, and common ions, and will take place in September and October of this year. Participation is free and well owners will receive a copy of the results.
DEQ maintains a list of degraded groundwater areas throughout the state, which are referred to as nitrate priority areas. The study will help DEQ reassess sites in the Twin Falls County nitrate priority area sampled by other state agencies prior to 2010 and will include new locations to update the nitrate concentration data in the region. The results will help identify levels of nitrates in the Snake River Plain Aquifer and inform decisions concerning future development in the area.
Groundwater provides over 95% of Idaho’s drinking water and nitrate is the most common and widespread contaminant in groundwater. Long-term exposure to elevated nitrate levels can have adverse health effects, especially in infants younger than six months and individuals with underlying health conditions.