UCo Health has west side well testing program
By Terry Murry on Monday, August 1st, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WEST UMATILLA COUNTY – Umatilla County Public Health has been awarded funding to test domestic wells for water quality on the west side of the county. U-Co Health Director Joseph Fiumara said that they are currently funded to test the wells in the Hermiston, Umatilla, Echo, and Stanfield ZIP codes.
That part of the county is being watched closely for nitrate contamination in the groundwater, as is Morrow County. He said that Oregon Health Authority is looking at possible mitigation efforts for nitrate contamination. Fiumara is hoping the funding keeps coming.
“I have launched this as a pilot program,” he said. “Assuming future funding comes I would like to expand this to other parts of the county, for instance the Milton-Freewater area. While nitrate is not typically a big concern there for groundwater, bacteria – coliform – tends to be.”
For more information about the well-testing program, visit https://ucohealth.net/additional-resources.
