State grant will make well testing free for some Cook County residents
Annual well testing for a variety of contaminants is recommended, but, according to Andrew Beavers from Cook County Land Services, it often does not happen. A new grant that has been awarded to Cook County aims to change that. The Safe Drinking Water Grant will support improving education about well testing, as well as providing free testing for eligible residents.
Beavers told WTIP that the grant would cover the cost of testing 270 private wells, and that the priority will be on year round residents who fall into several categories. He said, “We are really focused on communities of need – residents over the age of 65, folks with young families, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, people who have disabilities, and low income households.” Beavers said that while covering the cost of testing is the first step, some money will also be available to help cover the cost to address any contaminants that the tests reveal.
The contaminants that well tests typically cover fall into two categories – those that could be tested for once, like lead, arsenic, and manganese, and those that should be tested for annually, like total coliform and nitrates. Beavers said that for the former, if a well doesn’t show elevated levels of lead, arsenic, or manganese, it is unlikely that additional testing for those contaminants would be needed. For total coliform or nitrates, regular testing is important, because they could infiltrate a well at any time.
Beavers said that for all of the contaminants, there are not simple indicators like taste or water appearance that would flag the water as unsafe. He added that each contaminant comes will some serious health risks. Exposure to lead or manganese can cause neurological issues that can take a long time to show up, meaning early detection in a water source is critical.
Cook County was awarded the grant due, according to Beavers, in large part to the work of Andrea Tofte of Public Health and Human Services, and Joseph Ruth, who preceded Beavers in his role with Land Services. The work that the grant supports will be carried out by the two departments working together. Beavers said, “I think it’s an incredibly valuable thing for our county and community at large, and I’m very excited to to carry the torch on the ground for these, these people that did all that legwork.”
For more information on eligibility, well users (both land owners and renters can apply) should contact Public Health and Human Services. For information about how to go about testing, whether through the grant or independently, Beavers said that residents can contact him directly by email at andrew.beavers@co.cook.mn.us or by phone at 218-387-3678. There is also information on the Land Services website.
WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke with Andrew Beavers from Cook County Land Services about the grant and how residents can access assistance with getting their wells tested. Audio of that interview is below.
Kirsten Wisniewski October 5, 2024
