These Central California residents can now access free water well testing

Rural residents in Fresno, Madera and Merced counties can now benefit from the expansion of a state program that aims to ensure households relying on domestic wells have access to safe drinking water.

Patrick Pulupa, executive officer of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, said the program’s expansion means “thousands more families will have the peace of mind that comes with knowing their water is safe, or getting immediate help if it’s not.”

The Central Valley Water Board expanded its Nitrate Control Program (NCP) to eight more groundwater basins at the end of February. The program was launched in 2021 to provide free replacement water for nitrate-impacted wells in the Central Valley.

“(This program) aims to address nitrate pollution in the households where we have the most vulnerable populations,” Pulupa said.

Since the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) Nitrate Control Program began four years ago, more than 9,000 wells in Priority 1 basins — groundwater basins identified as having the most serious contamination issues — have been tested. Free replacement drinking water — which includes more than 3.7 million gallons distributed through bottled water deliveries — has been provided to more than 1,800 households with nitrate-impacted wells.

The program has expanded its free well testing and drinking water assistance to rural residents across Priority 2 groundwater basins in Delta-Mendota, Eastern San Joaquin, Madera, Merced, Kern County (Poso & West-side South), Tulare Lake and Yolo County who rely on private wells.

The nonprofit Valley Water Collaborative is now accepting applications for the free well testing and replacement bottled water program for private wells in Yolo, Eastern San Joaquin, Delta-Mendota, Madera and Merced basins in addition to Modesto and Turlock.

“Research has shown that contamination in Central Valley groundwater can sometimes exceed safe drinking water levels, yet private wells are not regularly tested like public water systems,” said Sara Bernal, community outreach manager with Valley Water Collaborative.

Valley Water Collaborative will test well water for free to check for contaminants.

The Delta-Mendota basin includes Los Banos, Dos Palos, Santa Nella near the San Luis Reservoir, Firebaugh, Mendota and rural areas on the western edge of Madera County.

The Madera basin includes Madera, Chowchilla, Fairmead, Madera Acres and La Vina, an unincorporated area.

The nonprofit has sent out 15,000 postcards to residents in those areas with information on how to apply for free well testing. Households with well water exceeding the nitrate drinking water standard (10 mg/L of nitrate nitrogen) will qualify for free replacement drinking water through bottled water deliveries or filling stations.

To participate in the free well-water testing program, residents with domestic wells can apply online at valleywaterc.org or call (209) 750-3867.

Nitrate can lead to serious health issues, especially for infants and pregnant women when levels are above the nitrate drinking water standard of 10 milligrams per liter (mg/l) or 10 parts per million (ppm) of nitrate nitrogen.

Residents can learn more about the CV-SALTS Nitrate Control Program at www.cvsalinity.org or visit www.valleywaterc.org