Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the PFAS Testing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Jackson County joins DNR PFAS testing opportunity; county to limit free private-well tests after grant reduction
Summary
Elizabeth Townsend said the county’s private well grant will be smaller for the next three years ($30,000 annually) and noted the county was selected for a DNR PFAS-related grant that could allow testing of up to 25 wells and pay for reverse-osmosis treatment where PFAS is found.
Elizabeth Townsend told the Board of Supervisors that the county’s private well grant spending last year was roughly $65,000 and that the new contract reduced the annual amount to $30,000 for the next three years, which will limit free testing availability.
Townsend said the department has been selected as one of about five counties to participate in a separate DNR PFAS grant program and described the state-level grant as a roughly $1,000,000 award to the DNR. She said that if the state work plan is approved, the grant would allow the county to test up to 25 wells and that, for wells returning positive PFAS results, the DNR would pay for reverse-osmosis treatment for those households.
"This other grant that the DNR got, received is 1000000 dollar grant... we would be able to test up to 25 wells in the county," Townsend said. She added that because the county’s private well funds were reduced, the department will limit who is eligible for free testing and charge a $40 fee for standard annual water tests, while still providing testing through other laboratories or the state hygienic lab.
Townsend said she will continue work to identify which wells should be prioritized for PFAS testing and will coordinate with state partners as the DNR work plan is finalized.
