Free drinking water well screening offered by Conservation District

The Washtenaw County Conservation District will accept drinking water well samples for nitrate screening tomorrow, Tuesday August 14, from 8 am to 3 pm at the District Office, 7203 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. The screening is sponsored by the Washtenaw County Conservation District and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). There is no fee to participants for this service.

Samples from drinking water wells will be screened for nitrate and nitrite. The screening is open to everyone who uses a personal well for drinking water; however, the total number of samples that can be tested is limited to 30. Information about the screening, instructions for collecting samples, visit our Facebook page.

This service is for private drinking water wells only. Public water supplies are tested regularly so samples from public or non-drinking water sources cannot be accepted. You do not have to use a special bottle for this screening. Any small clean jar will work—one ounce of water is enough. Free sample bottles are also available at the District Office.

All results are confidential and participants will be mailed a copy of their results in 6 to 8 weeks, with information about what to do if the concentration of nitrate or nitrite is too high. For more information about the well water screening event, contact: Nick Machinski, Washtenaw County MAEAP Technician, at (734) 761-6721 ext. 5.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.