Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Lab topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Dunn County’s new water lab turns profit in early months after partnership with Land & Water
Summary
Dunn County’s on-site water lab has processed hundreds of samples since starting operations and reported a small net surplus after batch processing and a large Land & Water partnership; staff proposed expanding outreach and invoicing options to increase private-well and nonmunicipal system testing.
Amy (Environmental Health specialist) told the board the county’s laboratory for private well and nonmunicipal water testing has been operating for roughly six to eight months and, with recent batch sampling, produced a modest net positive result. Amy said the lab processed 311 nitrate samples supplied through a Land & Water Conservation Department project and that batch processing of those samples reduced per-sample costs to about $19.90 for nitrate testing.
Amy said costs for single-sample runs can approach $35 per nitrate test; the lab set its public fee at $30 per nitrate test and $25 for bacterial tests (coliform/E. coli). With the Land & Water project’s volume the lab posted about $3,000 net revenue for the period covered by the presentation. Overall, Amy said the water lab had processed more than 500 samples in the first eight months and that the average cost per nitrate sample across all workload was around $21–$22.
Opportunities identified include expanding outreach to private well owners to increase sample volume, offering invoicing and billing to nonmunicipal systems (OTMs and NTNC systems such as mobile-home parks and rural workplaces) whose sample submitters may not have a payment mechanism at sample drop-off, and repeating the partnership with Land & Water next year (staff said the Land & Water program has funds for a repeat). Amy and KT said the lab’s early success demonstrates local capability to keep testing dollars in‑county rather than outsourcing.
Paula and KT clarified that lab “profit” is not profit in the commercial sense but that revenue helps cover operating costs, media and consumables, and can contribute to equipment depreciation or future investments in the program.
The board congratulated Amy and staff and asked to expand public awareness of the county lab as a nearby option for private well testing. No formal vote or budget action was taken; staff said they will pursue billing options and seek grant support for continued partnership activities if available.
