Counties get $1.7 Million for Nitrate Contamination Solutions

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Ana Piñeyro, public health access specialist with Morrow County Public Health, left, and Curt Cude, Oregon Health Authority Healthy Waters coordinator, talk to Nicole Kent, of Irrigon, about testing her domestic well for nitrates as part of the state’s initiative to test wells in the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area. (Photo courtesy of Omar Granados/Oregon Health Authority)

Umatilla and Morrow county officials learned Tuesday that the counties will receive $1.7 million in federal aid to address nitrate contamination in private wells.

According to a press release from Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, Environmental Protection Agency funding will help find long-term solutions to a water crisis in the Lower Umatilla Basin.

“This funding will empower us to build upon the substantial achievements already accomplished by Umatilla County Health and our esteemed state and local collaborators in testing and outreach initiatives,” Umatilla Board of Commissioners Chairman Dan Dorran said.

According to Dorran, the funds are limited to well testing and using results to identify areas that may provide community drinking water or additions to municipal water systems. He added that the monies will also supplement and expand existing state and county programs. Although Morrow County is responsible for the funds, Dorran said, well testing and analysis will occur in both counties.

Morrow County Board of Commissioners Chairman David Sykes said he also appreciates the funding, which was filed in partnership with Umatilla County.

“Both counties have been working diligently to test household water and to deliver clean drinking water,” he said. “This EPA grant funding will help both counties move forward on meeting the drinking water challenges. More specifically, the funding will help counties in the designing and planning possible extension of public water systems. Part of the work will include a more in-depth, comprehensive inventory of domestic wells.”

According to the release, the $1.7 million stems from the fiscal year 2023 U.S. government funding bill as a “critical community-initiated project.”

“When I visited impacted community members in rural Morrow County and held a town hall there earlier this year, I heard devastating stories about how nitrate contamination is raising serious health concerns, with some families afraid to even brush their teeth,”Wyden said.

He added that the counties’ residents deserved clean, safe tap water.

“Based on my Morrow County town hall this spring and other conversations in the community,” he said, “it’s clear that rural Oregonians in this part of the state have serious and legitimate water safety concerns, and I’m glad these federal funds are en route to help solve this problem once and for all.”

Local response

Kristin Anderson Ostrom, Oregon Rural Action executive director, was pleased the senators delivered on a promise to fund long-term solutions for safe water in the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area.

“Folks can’t live out of 5-gallon bottles forever, and they shouldn’t have to,” she said. “This is really just a long-awaited first step and there’s a lot of work to do to build on the testing we’ve already done. Hopefully this infusion of funding can also spur a renewed sense of urgency.”

According to its website, the ORA is a grassroots organization working to promote social justice, agricultural and economic sustainability and the stewardship of the region’s land, air and water.

“That being said, money alone can’t solve this problem,” she said. “What we need are lasting, effective solutions, and the way you get those is by listening to the folks with contaminated wells. Working people without access to safe water have the most to lose in terms of health and economics. They deserve a say in their own future.”

Ostrom added that it’s shameful taxpayers are left with the bill instead of agribusiness and industry that have profited while initially contaminating the groundwater.

Water for Eastern Oregon Chairman Michael Graham said seeing federal, state and local leaders working together for solutions gives him and other H2OEO officials hope.

H2OEO is a coalition of businesses and community organizations formed to provide drinking-water resources to residential well users in Morrow and Umatilla counties.

Solutions will require local innovation and buy-in to be successful, Graham said, and the federal funding would allow the counties to continue studying groundwater systems to determine where future investments can do the most good for well owners.

“Working within these parameters, the counties will be well-positioned to make those impactful long-term investments,” he said. “We are hopeful the second round of funding supported by Sens. Merkley and Wyden will be approved to develop a preliminary engineering report and take a closer look at alternative treatment options as we look at more permanent solutions.”

According to the release, Merkley and Wyden are supporting another community-initiated project for Morrow County that was included in the FY24 Senate Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The funding would address nitrate contamination of private wells by developing a preliminary engineering report and vetting alternatives for providing well users with clean water. The bill awaits full-Senate consideration.

Work so far

Earlier this year, the Oregon Health Authority and Department of Human Services, along with public health departments and community organizations, teamed to alert domestic-well households in the two counties about nitrate levels and free water testing.

For six months, the state-led coalition attempted to reach the identified 3,300 domestic homes in the LUBGWMA for well testing. According to the OHA, 1,001 wells were tested, while 1,200 households were deemed inaccessible. However, the latter residences were identified for follow-up via specialized mailing campaigns.

The OHA said about 500 households refused the outreach services and the coalition made about 5,400 overall attempts to reach the 3,300 households with domestic wells.

According to the OHA, drinking water of 235 homes tested above 10 milligrams of nitrates per liter, and treatment systems have been installed in 28 homes while 341 households receive water delivery.

LUBGWMA domestic wells with nitrate test results above 10 milligrams per liter are eligible to receive water deliveries, while households testing between 10 and 25 milligrams per liter may receive vouchers for in-home water treatment systems. However, end-of-tap treatment systems are not effective for nitrate levels above 25.

Nitrate and its dangers

According to the OHA, nitrate can occur naturally in groundwater, but high levels are often associated with human activities and are a major part of animal manure, human sewage waste and commercial fertilizers.

The EPA’s maximum contaminant level is 10 milligrams of nitrates per liter of water. The OHA states infants fed baby formula mixed with nitrate-contaminated water above that level are at risk for blue baby syndrome, a condition that decreases the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen.

According to the OHA, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not drink water with high nitrate. Drinking water with nitrate above 10 milligrams per liter can increase the risks of miscarriage and birth defects. There is also potential increased risk of recurrent respiratory infections, thyroid dysfunction and certain cancers such as stomach cancer and bladder cancer.

Although the state-imposed Sept. 30 deadline for well testing has passed, LUBGWMA households can still schedule well-water testing. According to the OHA, residents will be offered free repeat nitrate testing of their private well water and continued delivery of free drinking water to those whose nitrate levels test higher than 10 milligrams per liter.

The coalition of state agencies, local public health authorities and community-based organizations involved in the campaign will also continue to provide information about health risks from nitrates in domestic well water and encourage domestic well users to have their water tested.

1 COMMENT

  1. Why are we not eliminating the cause of this contamination? The source of contamination is known, proven and dangerous. It will get worse as time goes on yet we do not talk about stopping it. The parties responsible should be shut down and then be held accountable for their deliberate actions resulting in this polution. In fact, the people who have been aware this was going on are equally guilty and equally responsible. It will take a long time for the ground water to clear up once the pollution is stopped so let’s get it shut down now. Big business should not be above the law and not be able to knowingly poison thousands of peoples water sources with impunity. Why is nothing being done?

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