Discounted well testing available for Kewaunee County residents

KEWAUNEE COUNTY – Through June 25, Kewaunee County residents can register for well testing through the Kewaunee County Land, Water and Conservation Department.

“The Land, Water and Conservation Department works with local business, area places and the County Board budget to find money every year for the county to decrease the well testing cost for residents to try to get more people to test in the area,” said County Conservationist Davina Bonness.

This year, funding is available for up to 200 Kewaunee County residents to have their wells tested for just $20 each.

“Right now, we are doing registrations, so all you have to do is call our office and we can get you registered,” Bonness said. “Once you do that, we will send you the bottle pickup instructions. We will be distributing bottles on Thursday, June 25, or Friday, June 26. Landowners who are pre-registered will come to our office and get their well testing bottles. We’ll instruct them how to take their sample and they’ll be taking their sample on Monday, June 29, and then returning it to our office.”

Wells will be tested for coliform bacteria, nitrates, chloride, pH, alkalinity, hardness, corrosivity index and conductivity at a discounted price.

“The two main things are bacteria and nitrates,” Bonness said. “Especially in Kewaunee County where we have shallow bedrock and we have a lot going on in our landscape, it’s very important to test annually, if not twice a year, to check for at least bacteria and nitrates.”

For residents whose tests show something of concern, Bonness said staff from the Land, Water and Conservation Department will work with them to find the source and ways to correct the issue.

“We work with them one-on-one,” she said. “If a landowner has questions, they can give us a call. If they have coliform with no nitrates, sometimes the well cap has bugs on it or they’re hanging their bird feeders over their well cap, which is just maintenance stuff. If they have high nitrates, our office can look around to see what’s happening on the landscape.”

To register to have a well tested, call (920) 845-9743.