Farm Horizons
•
June 6, 2016
Stock photo
McLeod County Environmental Services Director Roger
Berggren recommends that private well owners have their
water tested for arsenic.
by MDH to test drinking water for arsenic. Minnesota
Valley Testing Laboratories in nearby New Ulm is certified and charges $24 for the arsenic tests; its many other
water quality tests range from $16 to $45.
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, just north
of Hutchinson, checks its well regularly for lead, copper, and arsenic. The well serves the church, teacherage,
parsonage, and a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade
school, and state requirements surrounding the school
Channel Seed
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prompted the church to test its well. Arsenic levels in the
water were above the allowed limit.
“We’ve been testing for arsenic for probably three
years,” said Alex Vandenberg, Immanuel’s principal.
“When we first were made aware of it, most of the
church members didn’t really care because they’ve been
drinking the water at church for years and they didn’t
think it was really affecting them.”
Immanuel spent about a year working with the state
health department to figure out a treatment system, and
it continues to have the water sampled regularly.
“Since the water treatment system was put in, I don’t
think I’ve heard any complaints about the water really,”
Vandenberg said.
When arsenic is found above the recommended limit,
making it safe for cooking or drinking involves a water
treatment system.
“The most common type is what they call a reverse
osmosis,” Berggren said, adding another option is to buy
bottled water.
If a well tests under the limit for arsenic, Berggren
said it’s not necessary to test again for at least 10 years.
“If you’re up there by 10 or a little above, you may
want to check it again (next year),” he said. “Once you
get over that 10 (parts per billion), it gets more critical.”
In addition to arsenic, Berggren recommends testing
wells for nitrates and bacteria. n
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