In Minnesota, approximately 1.2 million people rely on private wells for their drinking water. There are a few thousand residences in Carver County that are on wells — pretty much everyone who lives in a township and isn’t on city water, according to the Carver County Water Management Organization.
Unlike public water systems, private wells are not monitored or maintained by government agencies. The responsibility for testing, treating, and maintaining a private well rests entirely with the homeowner. Currently, only about 20% of private well owners regularly test their water, according to water quality experts.
Twin City Water Clinic, a small family-owned laboratory in Hopkins, Minn., recently received a grant to help private well owners better understand their drinking water quality by testing for primary health contaminants. The grant includes free testing for the five contaminants that the Minnesota Department of Health recommends for private well owners: total coliform bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, lead, and manganese. The free tests are being offered through August and September to 500 residents…