ELLSWORTH - Every Pierce County resident relies on groundwater. Public water supplies are regulated by drinking water standards and are subject to mandatory testing. Private wells are not required to be regularly tested or to take corrective action; it is up to the well owner.

The Land Conservation Department, along with Public Health and partners in the community are celebrating the launch of the new campaign “Don’t guess. Well test.” The purpose is to remind private well users to test their water annually with a certified drinking water lab. Test kits for the UW-Stevens Point drinking water lab are available at the Land Conservation and Public Health offices, fees are paid when the sample is sent in. No cost test kits are also available at Public Health through the state’s WellTAP program for those who qualify.

“Our goal is to remove the guesswork and provide residents with the tools they need to manage their own water quality effectively,” said Retta Isaacson, Pierce County’s Water Quality Planner.

Both UW-Stevens Point and WellTAP bottles will be available at the upcoming nitrate screening clinics. Participants get a free and instant ballpark number of the nitrate concentration in their water and are offered resources on how to manage their private well.

The remaining clinics are:

• June 16 - Martell Town Hall, 3-6 p.m.
• July 16 - Elmwood Rod & Gun Club, 3-6 p.m.
• 20 - Plum City School District Open House, time TBD
• 21 - Ellsworth Public Library, 2-5:30 p.m.

To participate, please bring in 8 oz. of water in a closed container (preferably glass) collected within 24 hours of the event. It is important to run the tap for 5 minutes (on cold at full flow) before collecting the sample. Participation is free and all private wells are eligible regardless of location.

Submitted by Pierce County Land Conservation