OHA urges people in LUBGWMA to test wells again
By Terry Murry on Thursday, July 11th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
PORTLAND — (News release from the Oregon Health Authority) People in the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area (LUBGWMA) who had their well water tested for nitrates in 2023 are encouraged to take advantage of free retesting to make sure their water remains safe.
The LUBGWMA is an area spanning northern Morrow County and northwestern Umatilla County designated by the state due to high nitrate levels in groundwater that supplies domestic wells.
Oregon Health Authority (OHA), in partnership with Morrow and Umatilla counties and a coalition of community-based organizations, mailed a letter in English and Spanish on May 15 to about 1,600 households that completed initial well water tests in 2023. The mailing included a brochure in English and Spanish that encourages people to take advantage of free retesting of their well water.
On June 12, the same households received letters with individual results of their past tests and a brochure to help them understand the results, as well as instructions, time frame and frequency for retesting their well based on their previous results.
Retesting of households with well water close to the health action level of 10 milligrams nitrate per liter (mg/L) of water is especially important because nitrate levels can fluctuate during different seasons of the year. Nitrate in well water is a potential health hazard, and levels above 10 mg/L are considered dangerous for human consumption. Pregnant people and babies face the greatest risk.
Anyone who lives in the LUBGWMA can get a free laboratory analysis of their well water by visiting the website testmywell.oregon.gov or emailing Domestic.Wells@odhsoha.oregon.gov. They can also call the OHA Domestic Well Safety Program at 541-952-9254.
Households with a laboratory nitrate test result above 10 mg/L can receive free water delivery. For households whose well water tests higher than 10 mg/L but under 25 mg/L, the state will pay for installation and maintenance of one in-home reverse-osmosis system that is certified to reduce nitrate levels to safe for drinking (treatment systems are not certified to remove nitrate at levels above 25 mg/L). Households with a laboratory nitrate test result higher than 25 can receive free water delivery.
OHA is coordinating the re-testing outreach effort in close partnership with Morrow County Public Health Department, Umatilla County Public Health Department, Oregon Department of Human Services, and many community organizations: Doulas Latinas, Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living, Euvalcree, National Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, Oregon Rural Action and Water for Eastern Oregon (H2OEO). These organizations can help connect domestic well users to the safe water services offered by the state through OHA.
