Dunn County Public Health plans to launch water testing lab
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — If you are concerned about bacteria and nitrate in your well water, the Dunn County Health Department will soon be able to provide water testing.
The Dunn County Public Health Department is planning to offer water testing services to area residents, said KT Gallagher, director of public health, at the September 28 meeting of the Dunn County Health and Human Services Board.
The initial cost to set up the water testing lab is about $28,000, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money will be used, she said.
The water testing lab is expected to be “cost neutral” for the county and will generate some revenue in addition to covering expenses, Gallagher said.
Current options for water testing are included in a report Gallagher put together for the Health and Human Services Board.
One option is the Commercial Testing Lab in Colfax.
The cost for a nitrate test and a bacteria test is $24 each, resulting in a total cost of $48 for both nitrate and bacteria testing, Gallagher’s report states.
The challenge of taking samples of water to be tested for bacteria and nitrate to Commercial Testing is the distance to drive to Colfax, particularly for samples taken in the southern Dunn County or Pepin County.
Another option for water testing is the Eau Claire City-County Health Department where the cost is $23 for each test, for a total cost of $46 to test for nitrate and bacteria.
The challenge of taking samples to the Eau Claire City-County Health Department are similar to Commercial Testing in the amount of time it takes to drive to Eau Claire. Also, samples must reach the lab by 4 p.m., according to Gallagher’s report
Another option for water testing is the State Lab of Hygiene in Madison, where the combined cost for bacteria and nitrate testing is $35. Shipping fees also must be paid.
The challenge of sending water samples to the State Lab of Hygiene is the possibility of delays in the samples reaching the lab and samples then, being rejected, which means new samples must be taken and shipped again. Samples must reach the lab within 48 hours, and if the samples do not arrive in 48 hours, they are rejected by the State Lab of Hygiene, the report states.
Wis. DNR
Dunn County’s water testing lab will be able to test water samples for the county’s Transient Non-Community (TNC) program for which Dunn County has contracted with the state Department of Natural Resources, the report states.
The county’s environmental health team collects water samples for businesses and other places participating in the TNC program for Dunn County and Pepin County.
Places where water samples must be collected annually and tested for nitrate and bacteria include rural churches, bars, campgrounds and restaurants.
Shipping costs to make sure that the samples arrive at the state lab in Madison within the 48-hour timeframe are expensive, but sometimes state-wide shipping delays affect the amount of time it takes for the samples to be delivered, the report states.
Taking the samples to a private business lab is more expensive than water testing done through the State Lab of Hygiene.
A lab in Dunn County will allow health department staff to collect and analyze samples faster and to get the results to well owners faster, according to the report.
Cost analysis
The cost to run a bacteria test on a water sample is about $15, so if Dunn County charges $20, then the additional money can be used to help cover expenses and future equipment purchases, the report states.
The cost to run a batch of 20 nitrate tests at one time works out to be not quite $4 per sample, so if Dunn County charges $20 per nitrate test, the additional money also can be used to help cover expenses.
Public health ARPA funds will be used to pay for the initial setup of the lab, and the water testing program is expected to be self-sustaining and to generate revenue for purchasing equipment when needed and other expenses, the report states.
The lab will be located in the Dunn County Government Center on Highway 12/29 in Menomonie (former health care center building), and existing Dunn County staff will work in the lab.
The lab manager will be Amy Arbetan, a certified lab technician, who will work in the lab for a couple of hours each week.
Jeff Robb will be the lab technician who will be trained by Arbetan to run the tests and will work in the lab for about an hour each week.
Abigayle Becker will be the office support staff who will send out test results by e-mail. She will also handle the payment processing, the report states.
Fast results
People who bring in water samples to Dunn County for testing can expect to get the test results and an explanation of what those results mean within one week.
If the testing of the water sample indicates a problem with nitrate or bacteria, the report from Dunn County will include a recommended course of action.
Dunn County Public Health staff members are already helping private water well owners to find ways to address bacteria or nitrate contamination, according to the report.
Bacteria and nitrate
Bacteria and/or nitrate contamination in well water are becoming more of a concern in certain areas of Dunn County.
High nitrates, which are generally found in agricultural areas, can create long-term health problems, especially for the elderly, pregnant women and babies who are bottle fed.
High nitrates increase the risk of methemoglobinemia (“blue baby” syndrome) which affects how blood carries oxygen, the report states.
High nitrates also have been associated with increased heart rate, nausea, headaches and abdominal cramps.
The DNR recommends private wells be tested annually for nitrate or if someone who is pregnant or who may become pregnant is using the water or if the water will be consumed by a baby.
Coliform bacteria and E. coli are the two forms of bacteria for which the Dunn County water testing lab will analyze samples and which are indicators of possible contamination of the water by fecal matter, according to Gallagher’s report.
Coliform bacteria is not a threat to human health, but it can be an indicator of water contamination, even though it is unlikely to make someone sick.
Coliform bacteria is found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, and in soil, vegetation and surface water.
E.coli bacteria is found in the feces of all animals, and water containing E. coli is water that has been contaminated by feces and should not be consumed.
The DNR recommends annual testing for coliform and E. coli in private wells, or at any time the water changes in taste, odor or color.
The Dunn County Land and Water Conservation Department recently collected 1,000 water samples from private well owners who volunteered to have their water tested.
“We believe this is a good indicator of local interest in water quality,” according to Gallagher’s report.
