Response to EPA Nitrate Letter for Southeast Minnesota

Background

On November 3, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requested the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), and Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) develop a coordinated and comprehensive work plan to reduce nitrate contamination of drinking water in eight southeastern Minnesota counties. 

The eight counties included are Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, and Winona.

• Minnesota’s Workplan: Addressing Nitrate in Southeast Minnesota (PDF)
• Response to EPA’s request 01/12/24 (PDF)
• Response to EPA's request 12/01/23 (PDF)
• EPA's request: EPA Southeast Minnesota Groundwater

On this page:
Well test kits for eligible households
Reverse osmosis treatment for eligible households
Status of work on EPA's request
Minnesota's work plan
Commonly asked questions
Resources
Contact information

Well test kits available for private well households in 8-county area in SE Minnesota

The MDH is able to provide limited free private well test kits for households that meet all of the following:

• Rely on a private well as their drinking water source.
• The private well is in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, or Winona counties.

The test kits are to test for nitrate, coliform bacteria, arsenic, lead, and manganese. To determine if your household is eligible and sign up for a test kit, complete this form: 

Request Test Kit

Point of use reverse osmosis treatment for eligible households

The MDA has a formal workplan and agreement in place with local partners for this pilot program.

• A limited number of initial reverse osmosis treatment systems are available through the local partner for private well users in the eight-county area with nitrate levels in their water above 10 mg/L.
• The MDA has identified some eligible households through their private well testing programs and sent out invitation letters in May 2024.

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Status of work on the EPA’s request

State agencies send a quarterly report to the EPA about efforts to address nitrate in groundwater in southeast Minnesota. The linked documents are the full report sent to EPA.

• January-March 2024 report (PDF)
• April-June 2024 report (PDF)
• July-September 2024 report (PDF)
  • July-September 2024 report summary (PDF)

Now is a good time to check your drinking water quality

Nitrate in groundwater is an issue that has been developing in southeastern Minnesota for several decades. There are regulations in place to help protect groundwater, but it will likely take years of work to fully mitigate the issue. Checking your water quality now is a good way to confirm if your water is safe to drink.

If you’d like more information about nitrate in the environment or nitrate and health, please visit the webpage below.

• Nitrate in Drinking Water

If you are on a public water system, your system ensures that drinking water meets the EPA standard

Your public water system regularly tests for nitrate and ensures levels meet the EPA standard. Your public water system will let you know if they detect nitrate in drinking water at a level above the EPA standard. You can find the level of nitrate detected in the system serving where you live by reading the system’s Water Quality Report, also known as a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). 

Search for your Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) online at the link below or contact your public water system to get a paper copy. If you want to find the level of nitrate for a place besides your home, contact the water system serving that location.

• Drinking Water Protection - Consumer Confidence Reports

If you have a private well, test for nitrate every year

If you get your drinking water from a private well, MDH recommends that you test the water you use for drinking and cooking for nitrate every year at an accredited water testing laboratory. We also recommend testing for coliform bacteria every year and testing for arsenic, lead, and manganese at least once. You cannot taste, see, or smell these contaminants in your water; testing is the only way to know the level in your water.

Test for nitrate every year. You should also have your water tested for nitrate if you are planning on becoming pregnant or if infants will be using the water.

You are responsible for keeping your well water safe and testing it as needed. MDH recommends you use an accredited laboratory to test your water. 

You may be eligible for a free well test if you live in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, or Winona county. 

• Complete this form to see if your household may qualify for a free well test kit: Request a Private Well Test Kit.

If you are not eligible for a free well test kit, contact an accredited laboratory to get sample containers and instructions, or ask your county environmental or public health services if they provide well testing services.

• Accredited Labs in Minnesota Accepting Samples from Private Well Owners (PDF)

Accredited labs in southeastern Minnesota that test for nitrate are (alphabetical order):

1. Minnesota Valley Testing Laboratories, Inc. 
   Address: 1126 North Front Street, New Ulm, MN 56073 
   Phone: 507-354-8517
    
2. RMB Environmental Laboratories, Inc 
   Address: 501 Highway 13 East, Burnsville, MN 55337
   Phone: 952-456-8470
   Email: customerservice@rmbel.com
    
3. Southeastern Minnesota Water Analysis Laboratory
   Address: 2100 Campus Drive SE, Suite 100, Rochester, MN 55904 
   Phone: 507-328-7495
   Order a water test kit at: Olmsted County Minnesota Water Analysis Lab
    
4. UC Laboratory
   Address: 129 North Main Street, Janesville, MN 56048 
   Phone: 507-234-5835

If nitrate is detected in your private well at concentrations above 10 mg/L, follow these steps

1. Get your drinking water from a safe alternative source, such as bottled water.
2. Make sure babies under six months old do not drink the well water.
3. Do not try to boil nitrate out of the water. Boiling will make nitrate more concentrated.
4. Have a licensed well contractor inspect your well.
5. Find and get rid of any potential sources of nitrate contamination. Visit the webpages below to help you identify sources to check or to contact a licensed well contractor.

• Protecting Your Well 
• Licensed Well and Boring Contractor Directory 

Home water treatment is also an option. Even with home water treatment, MDH recommends that no babies under six months old drink the water, a safety precaution in the event the water treatment fails. Before treating for nitrate, MDH encourages you to first try to get rid of potential sources of nitrate on your property and get your well inspected and repaired.

• Home Water Treatment Fact Sheet 
• Nitrate in Well Water 

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Commonly asked questions

Can I get a free test for my well water?

Currently, MDH is providing free well test kits for private well households that meet all the following: 

• Rely on a private well as their drinking water source.
• The private well is in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, or Winona counties.

To determine if your household is eligible, complete this form: Request a Private Well Test Kit.

You can also participate in a well screening clinic hosted by a local agency or group. While screening results are not 100% accurate, they can be a first step knowing if nitrate is in your well water. If nitrate is detected with a screening test, we encourage you to follow up with an accredited lab.

Can I get a treatment system installed for free or a new well paid for? 

MDA is notifying households via mail if they may be eligible for reverse osmosis due to known elevated nitrate in their well water and participation in previous MDA private well testing programs.

There may be programs available for cost share of treatment systems or well repairs at the local government level. You can check if you may be eligible for any grants or loans for home water treatment, well construction, or repair. Visit the link below for more information.

• Grants and Loans for Home Water Treatment and Well Construction, Repair, and Sealing

As programs become available MDH will do outreach to our local partners and the public. 

As a private well owner, do I have to test and treat my water?

There are no statewide regulations for private well owners to test and treat their water after a well is constructed. All actions are voluntary. However, MDH encourages you to test your drinking water on a regular basis.

• Well Testing, Results, and Options 

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Resources

If your well was constructed after 1974, you may be able to find information about your well through the Minnesota Well Index at the link below.

• Minnesota Well Index (MWI) 

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Contact information

For more information about your water quality, please email health.privatewells@state.mn.us.

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