(Area News) – ISU Extension in Adair, Audubon, Cass and Guthrie Counties will host a free, one-hour learning session for private well owners on Wednesday evening, October 9th (2024) at 6-p.m. The program will help attendees understand their well’s water quality and connect them to resources to manage their well. A representative will also be on hand from the Guthrie County Environmental health department, which provides services to all four counties to offer free well-water testing.

Did you know that Iowa has a unique funding source for free or low-cost annual testing of private wells? Or that some water pollutants are odorless, tasteless and will not be removed by boiling water? If you’re curious about the answers to these questions, then take advantage of the upcoming learning session which will detail how to test your well and who can help, common contaminants, and factors that affect well water quality.

The program will be taught by Catherine DeLong, Water Quality Program Manager for ISU Extension and Outreach. According to DeLong, “About 230,000 Iowans rely on private wells as their home’s main water source, yet many do not know they should be testing once a year and that Iowa has a unique funding source to help cover the cost of testing.”

The free program will take place on Wednesday evening, October 9 from 6:00pm –7:00pm at the Anita Community Center, located at 805 Main Street in Anita. While there is no charge to attend, pre-registration is requested for seating and materials. To RSVP contact the county Extension office in Adair (641-743-8412), Audubon (712-563-4239), Cass (712-243-1132) or Guthrie (641-747-2276) county, or email keolson@iastate.edu. Information about this and other upcoming programs can also be found online at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.