Timmons discusses nitrates in well water
By Terry Murry on Friday, April 14th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UMATILLA COUNTY – Nitrates in well water in the lower Umatilla River basin are a concern of health officials from the federal down to the county level. Umatilla County Commissioner Cindy Timmons is the board of commissioners’ liaison with Umatilla County Public Health, and she said she didn’t know much about nitrates when she was sworn into office in January.
“I’m learning a lot about it,” she said. “I’m very pleased at the actions of the Umatilla County Health Department.”
As federal and state environmental agencies get involved with the nitrate-level problem in private wells, Timmons said U-Co Health Director’s Joe Fiumara is concerned that people are getting misinformation.
“Joe and the team are doing everything they can to make sure the county is safe,” she said. “The maximum contaminant level is 10 milliliters per liter.”
She added that it’s hard to put the blame entirely on well water, because people get nitrates from a number of other sources.
“A lot of times we get nitrates from leafy greens, root vegetables, and deli meats,” she said.
She said the most troublesome condition caused by overexposure to nitrates is blue baby syndrome for infants below 6 months old. Timmons added that long-term exposure can bring about thyroid diseases, birth defects, and cancers.
