Nitrate exceeds standards in 1 of 5 Lower Valley wells

Federal clean-water regulators confirmed Monday what many people in the Lower Yakima Valley already knew: The groundwater that many rely on for drinking, cooking and bathing is polluted.

The next step will be to try to identify the sources of the contamination and what can be done about it, a scenario that could range from installing under-the-sink filters or moving more residents to regulated water systems to enforcement actions against polluters.

In a matter of weeks starting in late February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was able to sample 330 private wells and conclude that nitrate levels exceeded federal safety limits in 21 percent of the cases.

Spurred by a 2008 series in the Yakima Herald-Republic called "Hidden Wells, Dirty Water," the EPA has been leading a multiagency effort to resolve a longstanding problem with groundwater pollution -- a problem pushed aside for years by the same agencies.

Lila Lumley, a retired school administrator who lives near Harrah, said she's relieved the government is doing something. She's had high nitrate levels for years.

"I'd like to have something I can feel safe drinking," Lumley said in a recent interview.

Following the first-round results, scientists took follow-up samples from 29 wells. Those samples will be tested for a wide array of contaminants including nitrate, isotopes of nitrogen, bacteria, pesticides and a variety of pharmaceuticals and hormones.

In addition, soil samples were taken from crop fields and dairies, and manure and lagoon water samples were taken from dairies. Wastewater treatment plants were also sampled.

More than 1,000 sample bottles were collected and sent to seven laboratories for analysis.

Residents who participated in the first round of testing were notified of their results and given information on how to reduce the risk from nitrate in their drinking water. Bacterial contamination was also found in some of those wells.

"The families and business owners participating in the study have performed a valuable public service," Tom Eaton, director of EPA's Washington state office, said in a news release. "We appreciate the community's continued support of our efforts."

Previous studies have also found contamination rates of about 20 percent.

The EPA's standard for nitrate is 10 parts per million. Eight wells tested positive for bacterial contamination, and three of those were also high in nitrate.

Nitrate is a compound that forms naturally when nitrogen combines with oxygen or ozone. High levels of nitrate in drinking water can be harmful to health, especially for infants and pregnant women. Sources of nitrate that can enter wells include fertilizers, septic systems, animal feedlots, industrial waste and food-processing waste.

EPA said it's working with the Yakama Nation; the state departments of Ecology, Agriculture and Health; local governments; and the community to manage the problem.

The agencies will staff a booth at the Sunnyside Cinco de Mayo celebration Saturday and Sunday to answer questions about the study and drinking water in general.

* Leah Beth Ward can be reached at 577-7626 or lward@yakimaherald.com.