Communities invited to MN Dept. of Health meeting to learn more about nitrates in water

By KAALTV

(Credit: MGN)

(ABC 6 News) – Residents in the southeast Minn. and northeast Iowa communities are invited to learn more about the health concerns and solutions regarding nitrates in drinking water at a meeting facilitated by the Minn. Dept. of Health.

Private well users in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties are invited to one of the four different meetings by MDH.

There will be three meetings held in-person as well as one virtual meeting. Each face-to-face meeting will include an MDH presentation followed by an open house where attendees can as MDH officials and partner staff specific questions.

The in-person meetings are as follows:

Stewartville — Wednesday, June 12
Open house from 5 to 8 p.m., presentation at 6 p.m.
Stewartville Community Center 105 First St. E., Stewartville, Minn. 55976
Rushford — Wednesday, June 26
Open house from 4 to 8 p.m., presentation at 6:30 p.m.
Rushford – Peterson Public School, 1000 Pine Meadows Lane, Rushford, Minn. 55971
Free nitrate screening will be available starting at 4 p.m. Bring a sample of your private well drinking water from your kitchen tap in a clean glass jar to have it screened for nitrates. This service is provided by Fillmore Soil and Water Conservation District.
Mazeppa — Thursday, June 27
Open house from 5 to 8 p.m., presentation at 6 p.m.
Mazeppa Community Center, 278 First Ave. N., Mazeppa, Minn. 55956

If someone is not able to attend one of the above meetings, there will be a virtual meeting held on Thurs., June 20, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Click here for that link.

For those in northern Iowa, there will be a Driftless Water Defenders Inaugural Meeting held Sat., June 15, in Decorah.

The new clean water advocacy membership group, DWD, will be hosting the free event at 3 p.m. at Good Sheperd Lutheran Church, 701 Iowa Ave., Decorah, IA.

“Iowans have a fundamental right to clean water,” said Chris Jones, the president of the DWD. “Iowa’s water quality is getting worse and we need organized, citizen involvement if we’re going to turn things around. DWD’s members will push forward with needed clean water advocacy.”

A press release says Jones will be answering questions regarding the condition of bodies of water in the area, which are stated to being unsafe for drinking, fishing and swimming.