OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska and Poweshiek County Extension offices will host a free, one-hour learning session for private well owners on Thursday November 7. The program will help attendees understand their well’s water quality and connect them to resources to manage their well.

The free program will take place on Thursday November 7 from 6-7 pm at the New Sharon City Park Building located at 108 North Pearl Street in New Sharon.  Registration is requested by November 4.  To register, use https://go.iastate.edu/ICGWY1  or contact the Mahaska County Extension office by phone 641-673-5841 or email striegel@iastate.edu or the Poweshiek county Extension office by phone 641-623-5288 or email clents@iastate.edu .

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.”