Polk County's Environmental Services Meeting on October 2, 2024, spotlighted critical findings from recent well water testing, revealing significant insights into local water quality. The analysis, part of a homeowner's package, included tests for pH, conductivity, alkalinity, total hardness, and crucially, coliform bacteria and nitrates.

The results showed that while 80 samples were collected from the Cedar Lake Horse Creek watershed, only 7% exceeded the public health threshold for nitrates, which is set at 10 parts per million. This is a positive indication, as only 8 samples returned results above this level, suggesting that most residents are not at immediate risk from nitrate contamination. The report highlighted that 25% of samples showed nitrate levels around 2 parts per million, which is considered naturally occurring.

However, the presence of coliform bacteria raised concerns. In the Cedar Lake Horse Creek area, 16 out of 80 samples tested positive for coliform, while the Beaver Creek area had a higher rate of 36% positivity from 28 samples. Fortunately, no E. Coli was detected in any of the samples, which is a relief for public health. The meeting underscored the importance of retesting for those with positive coliform results to determine if the contamination was due to sampling errors or actual breaches in well systems.

Overall, the meeting emphasized the value of ongoing water testing and public awareness, as many residents had not tested their wells in over a decade. The findings serve as a crucial reminder of the need for regular monitoring to ensure safe drinking water in Polk County.