Update on Well Water Screening Clinics

by Bruce Olsen and Jeff Stoner

Since 2021, MGWA has been collaborating with the Minnesota Well Owners Organization (MNWOO) to increase private well owner understanding of their drinking water quality at the kitchen tap. Clinics for screening well-water quality are the principal method used for this effort. A private well owner or user can have a drinking water sample tested at a screening clinic for nitrate nitrogen and chloride at no charge and are provided access to expertise and information about water quality. MGWA and MNWOO partner with local sponsors such as county health departments, soil and water conservation districts, the Minnesota Extension Service, and citizens groups to schedule and hold these clinics (Figure 1).

Volunteers are a critical component in making clinics successful, and MGWA members provide valuable expertise, especially when explaining water quality screening results to private well owners/users and answering questions about groundwater and groundwater quality. Clinics involve a team effort as shown in Table 1 and the impact of local volunteers cannot be overstated. 

Table 1. Water Quality Screening Clinics Held in 2023

Clinic Name/Venue	County	Date	Number of Wells	MGWA Volunteers	MNWOO Volunteers	Local Volunteers
St. Charles/city hall	Winona	2/2/23	119	6	3	5
Prairie Horizons: Starbuck/ Forbord Farm	Pope	6/24/23	39	2	2	5
Maine Prairie/ Maine Prairie Township Hall​	Stearns	8/31/23	254	5	3	7
North Branch/ Lakes Region EMS	Chisago	9/7/23	135	4	1	11
So. Washington County/South Service Center, Cottage Grove	Washington	9/18/23	94	5	1	6
Hackensack	Cass	9/23/23	168	0	3	6
Elko New Market/ Elko-New Market Library	Scott, Dakota	9/30/23	181	5	3	7

A well portfolio consisting of a pocket folder with insert materials (Figure 2) was developed in 2022 by a workgroup convened by MGWA and MNWOO, and portfolios were distributed to private well owners/users at the 2023 clinics. They were received positively by clinic attendees, and the MGWA Foundation contributed to printing 200 of the 900 well portfolios that were distributed. A principal use for the portfolio is to educate well owners/users about well construction, managing potential contamination source on their property, and follow up water quality testing using a laboratory that is certified by the Minnesota Department of Health. MNWOO obtained a small grant and local cooperators found additional funding so that follow up testing for arsenic was offered to clinic attendees at the Prairie Horizons, Maine Prairie, and Elko-New Market clinics.

Although the mechanics of planning and holding a clinic are mostly worked out, the big question is whether they have any impact on the private well owners or users who attend? Private well owners/users are asked to complete a clinic evaluation form before leaving, and a 31-47% response rate was obtained for the clinics held in 2023. The evaluation is based on three categories of questions having rank scoring of 1-6 (lowest to highest rating). Table 2 shows that overall, clinic attendees gain information about their well water quality and are often interested in testing the quality of their drinking water even if this costs them money. Also, the level of detail provided by volunteers who answer their questions appears to be meeting attendee needs.

Table 2 Summary of Clinic Attendee Evaluations

Category	Average of total score 6 (range)	Remarks
Knowledge gained (before to after clinic)	1.7 (1.5-2.7)	Strongest: Water quality, where to get additional info Weakest: Well location, construction, treatment options
Clinic aspects	5.7 (5.6-5.8)	Overall satisfied with experience
Learning experience	5.7 (5.6-5.8)	5.7: Portfolio handout useful 5.7: Will consider future testing even if not free

Plans are underway for holding water quality screening clinics in 2024, and many of the local partners from 2023, especially local agencies, are interested in participating again. Also, others have inquired about holding clinics in their areas. See the schedule of clinics updated monthly on the MGWA Education page (https://www.mgwa.org/education/). This winter, we will need volunteers to help determine whether ion selective electrodes coupled to a benchtop meter should replace the aging spectrophotometers supplied by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the titration method now used at clinics. If you would be interested in learning more about volunteering to support private well water quality screening, please contact Bruce Olsen (sawdust2013@gmail.com) or Jeff Stoner (j_stoner@comcast.net).

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