Laserfiche WebLink
For more information on <br />surface water gaging, contact <br />Mel Sinn at 612/296-4806. <br />Training Local Health Agencies <br />to Interpret Well Water Quality <br />Data (1VID) <br />The MDH portion of the initiative <br />would provide county health <br />agencies with the training needed <br />to correctly interpret the well <br />water quality data collected by <br />county water testing programs <br />and incorporate it into local <br />groundwater information <br />databases. <br />Many counties provide assistance <br />to property owners regazding <br />sampling of drinking water wells <br />for nitrate nitrogen and coliform <br />bacteria. These parameters serve <br />as indicators of well <br />contamination from surface water. <br />Although staff can respond to the <br />health issues related to a specific <br />well water analysis, most county <br />health departments do not have <br />the capabilities for storing and <br />retrieving water testing analyses <br />and correlating these results with <br />water well construction programs. <br />Department staff have received <br />requests to assist county health <br />agency staff with 1) developing <br />databases to store and retrieve the <br />information collected by county <br />water testing programs, and 2) <br />train county staff in interpreting <br />water quality data so they can <br />better determine whether <br />contamination is related to well <br />construction practices or aquifer <br />contamination. Also, county <br />environmental and planning staff <br />have expressed. interest in <br />participating with the <br />development of local water <br />testing databases and using this <br />information to guide land use <br />regulation. This initiative would <br />enable the department to provide <br />the initial training and follow-up <br />support needed for county health <br />agency staff to better utilize <br />locally generated water quality <br />information. <br />This legislative proposal will <br />enable the department to provide <br />training needed by local health <br />agency staff and water planning <br />staff for 1) determining the <br />health significance of well water <br />quality data, and 2) assessing <br />impacts that well construction <br />practices and land use aze having <br />on the quality of well water used <br />for drinking. This initiative will <br />strengthen local capabilities to <br />effectively interpret well water <br />quality data and will support <br />department programs relating to <br />well management, wellhead <br />protection, public water supply, <br />and health care programs for <br />infants and the elderly. <br />Furthermore, other state <br />agencies will benefit by having <br />access to water quality data on <br />domestic drinking water wells <br />which will greatly enhance state <br />efforts to identify areas where <br />aquifer contamination by nitrate- <br />nitrogen occurs. <br />Surface Water Gaging (DNR) <br />Stream and lake gaging has <br />increased with funds from the <br />1989 Act; however, over 30 of <br />the 81 major watersheds in <br />Minnesota remain ungaged. <br />Many important lakes also aze <br />not yet gaged. The Department <br />of Natural Resources (DNR) also <br />has a commitment to request <br />6 <br />