Minnesota Department of Health: Groundwater Awareness Week Guidance
Summary
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) issued a news release for Groundwater Awareness Week, urging private well owners to test their water annually for contaminants like nitrate, coliform bacteria, arsenic, lead, and manganese. The release highlights specific testing recommendations and available resources, particularly for residents in southeast Minnesota.
What changed
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued a news release for Groundwater Awareness Week, emphasizing the importance of annual testing for private drinking water wells. The release details common contaminants of concern in Minnesota, including nitrate, coliform bacteria, arsenic, lead, and manganese, and recommends annual testing for nitrate and coliform bacteria, and at least one-time testing for arsenic, lead, and manganese using accredited laboratories.
Private well owners are advised to be "well" informed about their drinking water quality. The MDH encourages regular testing to ensure safety, especially in areas like southeast Minnesota which is more susceptible to contamination. The release also promotes a campaign offering free testing kits in eight southeastern counties while supplies last, noting that recent tests in these areas showed significant lead and nitrate contamination. This notice serves as a reminder and resource for well owners to take proactive steps in maintaining water safety.
What to do next
- Private well owners should test their water annually for nitrate and coliform bacteria.
- Private well owners should test for arsenic, lead, and manganese at least once.
- Review MDH's 'Well Testing, Results, and Options' webpage for further guidance.
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News Release
March 12, 2026
Be "well" informed about your drinking water
Groundwater Awareness Week highlights importance of annual water well testing
Drinking contaminated water can, over time, result in serious illness or even death. That’s why during National Groundwater Awareness Week, March 8-14, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is reminding private well owners that regular testing is recommended to ensure the safety of drinking water.
“Testing your drinking water is the only way to know how safe it is,” said MDH Water Policy Manager Tannie Eshenaur. “You can’t taste, smell or see most contaminants."
The five most common contaminants of health concern in Minnesota are nitrate, coliform bacteria, arsenic, lead and manganese. MDH recommends using an accredited laboratory to test for nitrate and coliform bacteria every year and for arsenic, lead and manganese at least once. To find an accredited laboratory near you, visit Search for Accredited Laboratories on the MDH website.
If testing identifies any contaminants, treatment options can include:
- Installing point-of-use or whole-home filters, such as reverse osmosis or a water softener.
- Repairing cracks where contaminants are entering the well.
- Building a new well. People in southeast Minnesota with a private well should pay special attention to testing their well. Porous geology makes southeast Minnesota uniquely susceptible to groundwater contamination from agricultural runoff, wastewater and faulty septic systems, especially as extreme weather events brought on by climate change continue to put additional pressure on groundwater resources.
With funding from the Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment, free, local, certified testing is available at Request a Private Well Test Kit, while supplies last, to private well users in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties as part of MDH’s new Well Tested? Well Done SE Minnesota campaign.
Recent test results from those eight counties in southeast Minnesota showed that around 40% of households had lead in their drinking water, and around 9% had nitrate above the federal drinking water standard.
More information can be found on MDH’s Well Testing, Results, and Options webpage.
-MDH-
For more information, contact:
Amy Barrett
MDH Communications
651-201-4993
Amy.Barrett@state.mn.us
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