Happy Dancing Turtle in Pine River is co-hosting a water testing clinic Saturday, May 13th with We Are Water MN and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., area residents can bring their well water to be tested for nitrate pollution. To prepare a water sample, it is recommended to run your water for 5-10 minutes, put at least one cup of water in a solid, sealed container, and keep the sample cold in a cooler or fridge until it’s taken to the clinic.

Samples are analyzed on the spot, and the whole process usually takes less than five minutes. The results are anonymous and given directly to the resident who brought the sample.

“We’re especially excited to be able to offer this open to anyone, any resident in the area … but we know in Cass County, free water testing is not available, so this at least, having screening for nitrates, is a first step for people to learn more about their water,” said Jenny Hill, Happy Dancing Turtle Communications and Public Relations Specialist. “There’s a couple of usual suspects, that would be certain types of fertilizer, if your septic system is leaking or faulty, any kind of potential landfill leaking that goes on. Sandy soil is especially susceptible to high nitrate levels, which of course we have a great deal of in our area.”

As part of the clinic, information will be available on how to follow up if test results show high levels of nitrates in the water.

Testing will be at the Hunt Utilities Group Resilient Living Campus in Pine River. More information on the event is available at the Happy Dancing Turtle website.

By — Lakeland News