The Oregon Health Authority and community-based organizations installed more than a hundred water filtration systems at residential households in the Lower Umatilla Basin Ground Water Management Area to help address the ongoing issue of high levels of nitrate in domestic well water.
According to a press release from OHA, 111 water treatment systems were placed Sunday, June 30, at some of the homes in the LUBGWMA.
“We are grateful to the plumbers who have helped us reach this milestone and we continue to look for ways to install these systems at a faster pace,” according to Gabriela Goldfarb, section manager of OHA Environmental Public Health.
Goldfard expressed her gratitude for the patience of residents who are waiting to get their treatment system installed.
The LUBGWMA region in northern Morrow and northwestern Umatilla counties has had high levels of nitrates in domestic well water for decades.
Nitrate in well water is a potential health hazard, and levels above 10 milligrams per liter of water are considered dangerous for human consumption. Pregnant people and babies face the greatest risk, and livestock can be affected in the same way as babies.
OHA also recently announced a retesting effort to ensure households near the 10 mg/L are monitored. Residents are encouraged to continue testing their domestic wells nitrate levels.
Households in the LUBGWMA with a laboratory nitrate test result above 10 mg/L can all receive free water deliveries.
For the households with well water tests higher than 10 mg/L but under 25 mg/L, the state will pay for installation and maintenance of one in-home reverse-osmosis system that is certified to reduce nitrate levels to what is safe for drinking. These systems are not certified to reduce nitrates in wells with levels above 25 mg/L, according to the press release.
State rules require licensed plumber to install treatment systems. OHA’s vendors also provide ongoing maintenance and replacement of filters. Vendors also collect a water sample for laboratory analysis of the water from the tap after installation to guarantee the water is safe for consumption.
