Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach, in conjunction with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, is inviting well owners to free workshops designed to help them protect their drinking water. Private Well Stewardship Programs are scheduled in counties across the state, the nearest in Sac and Calhoun counties. The Sac County Extension Office will host one on Monday, April 6, from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. in Sac City, and Calhoun County Extension will host another at their office in Rockwell City on Tuesday, April 7, also from 6 to 7:15 p.m. Each workshop will provide information on water testing, common contaminants, and factors that affect well water quality. An estimated seven percent of Iowans, or roughly 230,000 people, rely on private wells as their primary drinking water source. Despite recommendations from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that wells be tested annually, as few as five percent of households that draw from wells test their water each year. Participants will also learn about the state’s Private Well Grant Program, which offers free or reduced-cost water testing in every Iowa county.
