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New Valley Water Collaborative outreach in Merced County offers free well testing and bottled water for nitrate‑impacted households
Summary
Valley Water Collaborative told the council it offers free well testing, bottled water and co‑contaminant testing funded through the State Water Board nitrate program; staff requested city help spreading the word.
Sarah Bernal of Valley Water Collaborative briefed the council Sept. 2 on a program offering free well testing and bottled water for households affected by groundwater contaminants in parts of the Central Valley, including Merced County.
Bernal said the nonprofit has tested about 1,200 wells overall and is providing bottled water to roughly 800 families in its service area. In Merced County specifically, she said staff identified about 520 private wells at risk of exceeding the nitrate health standard. Since launching in Merced County in February 2025, the nonprofit had received about 140 applications from county residents; staff sent 123 samples to the lab and Bernal said about 105 of those already exceeded the nitrate health standard.
Bernal also warned about legacy pesticide 1,2,3‑TCP (trichloropropane), which is inhalable and dermally absorbed during showering and cannot be addressed by bottled water alone. She said 41 percent of wells tested so far in their outreach showed 1,2,3‑TCP. Valley Water Collaborative is conducting well testing, bottled water distribution and public outreach while also meeting with local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and community service districts to explore longer‑term infrastructure solutions such as system consolidation.
Bernal said the program is funded through the State Water Board’s Nitrate Control Program and related grant funding (including a $5 million SAFER grant application) and by contributions from permitted dischargers in the irrigated lands and dairy sectors. She asked the council to share program materials; staff said they would distribute a bilingual social‑media flyer and coordinate community tabling at local events.
Council members asked about outreach to nearby towns (Delhi was mentioned) and coordination with county public health and MACs (community advisory committees). Bernal said the program contracts with state‑approved labs, collects samples at the wellhead, takes about four weeks for lab results, and provides follow‑up explanations of test results and options to households that test above standards. She said the program partners with Self Help Enterprises on well repairs and whole‑house filtration referrals when needed.
