Free Well Water Screening at Ag Expo

Free Well Water Screening at Ag Expo!

A FREE well water screening will be offered at the 29thannual Ag Expo this July. The screening will test for traces of nitrate or the pesticide atrazine in your drinking water well. In too high of concentrations, nitrate can interfere with our body’s ability to carry oxygen (especially in infants) and pesticides such as atrazine can cause liver, kidney, or nervous system damage. It is therefore important to have your well water screened for these chemicals. Did I mention this screening will be FREE?

In order to have your water supply screened, obtain an instruction sheet and water sample bottle from the Genesee or Shiawassee Conservation District Offices or the MSU Extension Office in either of those counties. The instructions will provide details for the procedure to collect and preserve the water sample prior to the actual testing. Public water supplies (i.e., city water) are tested regularly. Therefore, water samples from public water supplies, as well as samples from non-drinking water supplies, WILL NOT BE TESTED through this program.

You have two options for submitting your well water sample. The first option is to return your water sample to the Genesee or Shiawassee County Conservation District Offices or MSU Extension Offices on Tuesday, July15th, before 11:00 a.m.and your water sample will be delivered directly to Ag Expo for you. You may also take your water sample directlyto the Michigan Water Stewardship Program (MWSP) exhibit at Ag Expo. This year’s MGSP exhibit will be located in Tent 562.

The result of the water sample test is strictly confidential and will be mailed to you after the Ag Expo event. If the concentration of nitrate is determined to be too high or if atrazine is detected in your well water sample, you will also receive information about actions you can take.

This year’s Ag Expo will take place on the campus of MichiganStateUniversity on July 15-17, 2008. Ag Expo will feature demonstrations and educationalexhibits. The Michigan Water Stewardship Program will have water protection and water quality information and educational materials available at its booth and staff members will also be present to answer questions. Ag Expo will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday (July 15th), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday (July 16th) and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday (July 17th). Admission to the grounds and parking at Farm Lane and Mt. Hope Road is free. For more information about Ag Expo or the Michigan Water Stewardship Program, contact Josh Shields, AmeriCorps Environmental Educator, at the Shiawassee Conservation District via phone (989.723.8263 ext. 3) or email ().