If your family drinks from a private well, there’s one stop you can’t afford to miss at this year’s Farmfest: the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s free nitrate water testing booth.

Bring a sample of your well water to booth #517S, and we’ll test it for nitrate — on the spot, in under five minutes. No paperwork. No cost. No catch.

The MDA and its partners offer water testing clinics across the state to increase public awareness of nitrate contamination in rural drinking water. Results from the testing are for the private well owner’s use. Well owners may remain anonymous.

Nitrate contamination is one of the most common threats to rural drinking water. It’s invisible, odorless, and tasteless. And it’s especially common in agricultural areas with sandy soils, karst, and fractured bedrock aquifers. Wells that are shallow, damaged or old are especially vulnerable.

If your water tests above 10 mg/L, it’s considered unsafe by federal health standards. In Minnesota, about 4% of new wells have nitrate concentrations above 3 mg/L. Although below the EPA standard, it suggests human-made sources of nitrate have contaminated the water and the level could increase over time.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, even moderate levels of nitrate in drinking water have been linked to health concerns. For formula-fed babies, high nitrate levels can be life-threatening.

Municipal water systems are regularly tested and treated. But if you use a private well, it’s on you to make sure the water is free of contaminants. That’s why an annual nitrate test is one of the most important — and easiest — things you can do to protect your family’s health.

Just run your cold water tap for 5-10 minutes, collect at least one cup of water in a clean, sealed container, keep it cool, and bring it with you to Farmfest.

No hassle. Just peace of mind.

Stop by booth #517S at Farmfest and take a small step that could make a big difference. Clean water is something every family deserves.

— Travis Hirman is a soil scientist with the Pesticide and Fertilizer Management Division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.