Health department says lab passed BNR nitrate audit; revises reporting to private-well owners

The health department reported it passed the recent BNR nitrate audit conducted March 3 and outlined required remediations to lab reporting practices. "Brenda Anderson, the auditor with DNR, was here for 4.5 hours that day," staff told the board, adding the final report will be issued in 30 days and remediations must be addressed within 60 days.

Staff said one remediation requires reporting additional details to private-well owners when samples are diluted for high-nitrate results (time, date, method, whether dilution occurred). The lab will revise its result forms to indicate dilution per EPA/NRA standards and provide clearer explanatory language. Staff also reported that lab analysts were performing an unnecessary level-of-detection study in duplicate and will revise that practice to reduce redundant work.

Separately, staff presented water-testing program statistics: Vernon County has 5,597 documented wells (1970+), runs roughly 300-400 bacterial tests per year and 150-200 nitrate tests per year, and charges $60 for paired test kits ($30 individually). Staff reiterated that bacteria results are reported as positive/negative (available within 24 hours) and nitrate results generally within 14 days.

The board took no formal vote on these items but asked staff to implement the audit remediations within the stated timelines.