EWG Report finds Agricultural Contaminants in Private Wells
Last week EWG released a report on private well contamination in Iowa. The report examined state records from 2002 to 2017, finding thousands of private wells contaminated with coliform bacteria and nitrate. Between 230,000 to 290,000 Iowa citizens are estimated to rely on private wells for drinking water, and 55,000 of these wells have been tested for nitrate and or bacteria in the past 16 years. Over 40 percent of these tested wells were positive for coliform bacteria, and 12 percent of these wells had nitrate levels above EPA’s 10 ppm standard for drinking water systems. The Group also found that the average nitrate level in private wells almost doubled between 2002 and 2017. Click here for more information and the full report. EWG previously released an earlier report connecting drinking water contamination and agriculture.
