Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is encouraging residents of the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area (LUBGWMA) to test their well water for nitrate this summer, a time of the year when presence of the chemical can be higher.
What is LUBGWMA?
The LUBGWMA area has been designated by the state due to high nitrate in groundwater that supplies domestic wells. It spans northern Morrow County and northwestern Umatilla County. OHA has collected nitrate data in the area since March 2023 that shows that levels of nitrate are higher between July and September.
Why test?
Nitrate in well water is a possible health hazard, and levels above 10 mg/L can be dangerous for people to drink. Pregnant people and babies face the greatest risk.
Free testing
OHA and county public health staff and volunteers will go door to door in LUBGWMA communities in August and September to offer free well testing.
Households with test results above 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) can receive free water delivery.
For households whose well water tests higher than 10 mg/L but below 25 mg/L, OHA will pay for installation and maintenance of one in-home reverse-osmosis system, which will reduce nitrate levels to safe for drinking (treatment systems are not certified to remove nitrate at levels above 25 mg/L).
Anyone who lives in the LUBGWMA can get a free nitrate laboratory analysis of their well water.
- Visit testmywell.oregon.gov (in Spanish at pruebadepozo.oregon.gov),
- email Domestic.Wells@odhsoha.oregon.gov, or
- call the OHA Domestic Well Safety Program at 541-952-9254.