JACKSON COUNTY, Ore.— Jackson County has roughly 30,000 people that get their water from domestic wells.
People who use wells may be susceptible to dangerous contaminants in the water, including nitrates.
Nitrates typically come from fertilizer, human or agricultural waste and could cause a number of problems such as diabetes or cancer.
Experts say it’s important to test your water because it can be tough to tell it’s contaminated or not.
Audrey Eldridge of Groundwater Protection Ninja said water from wells could have, “no taste, no smell, you don’t know,” she said. “In fact, I’ve tested a lot of well water for people many, many times, and they say, ‘this tastes great!’ and you’ve got 15 milligrams per liter nitrate and guess what? That’s not so good.”
The Bear Creek Fall Fest is on Saturday at the Bear Creek Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you’d like to get your water tested, Eldridge said to bring a cup of cold untreated water from your well, in a clean jar.
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