Health district offering nitrate screening to Benton County private well owners

Benton County private well owners can have their well’s nitrate levels checked on Aug. 4.

The Benton-Franklin Health District is offering a free nitrate screening from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shooters Sports Bar, 214711 E. Highway 397, Finley.

Well owners should bring two cups of water from their well, collected before any treatment. The water should be in a clean glass or plastic container.

“Nitrate contamination is a by-product of fertilizer and animal waste, and is known to contaminate many wells in rural Benton County. Nitrates have also been found in drinking water in many counties along the Columbia and Yakima Rivers,” the health district said in a news release.

Nitrate levels above 10 parts per million are considered unsafe for pregnant women and infants under 6 months, the release said. Livestock also can be harmed.

Nitrate pollution in drinking water has been linked to issues including birth defects, the news release said.

There haven’t been any documented cases of health issues related to high nitrate levels in Benton County, the health district said.

This story was originally published August 1, 2016 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Health district offering nitrate screening to Benton County private well owners."