Environment department offering free well water tests Aug. 12

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will test samples of well water free of charge for the first 100 attendees who can bring properly prepared samples to the Clovis Farmers Market on Aug. 12.

Free testing will be available 9 a.m. to noon, Aug. 12, at Farmer Market, located in the North Plains Mall parking lot, 2809 N Prince Street, Clovis, according to an NMED news release.

Well water tests typically cost about $150 but will be free to the first 100 participants or while supplies last, and test results will be mailed to the households following the event, the news release stated.

Only water that comes from homes that rely on private wells for drinking water will be tested, according to the news release.

“Our water fairs are designed to provide private well owners with basic data about the water they drink,” Ground Water Quality Bureau Chief Justin Ball said in the release.

To have water tested, residents are asked to bring samples and NMED offers this advice to prepare the samples:

• Let the water run for two or three minutes before collecting the sample.

• Fill a clean glass or plastic container without any odors with at least a quart or liter of your well water.

• If the home has a whole house filtration system, collect the water at the well head before it is subject to filtration or softener systems, if possible.

• Fill the container with water as close to the time of testing as possible.

According to the news release:

• The Water Fair program does not provide sampling for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Please contact Andy Jochems in the Drinking Water Bureau Source Water Protection Team at 505-205-6964 or [email protected] with questions regarding PFAS in drinking water.

• Along with the water sample, residents should bring basic information known about the well such as well depth, depth from ground surface to water, well casing material (steel or PVC, for example), as well as latitude and longitude of the well location and distance from the well to the nearest septic tank or leachfield system.

• If well owners are unable to attend the event but would like to have their water tested, they may have a sample brought to the event by a family member or neighbor, provided the bottle is clearly labeled and has the owner’s name, phone number, address, and well information attached.

• Samples will be tested for pH, specific conductance and levels of nitrates. These constituents may be naturally occurring or result from sources including fertilizer, animal waste, and septic tanks. Drinking water with high levels of nitrate can be dangerous to pregnant women and infants. Other contaminants may lead to other health problems and aesthetic nuisances.