NATIONAL GROUNDWATER AWARENESS WEEK March 8-14, 2026
IOWA COUNTY – The Iowa County Health Department, Iowa County Land Conservation Department, and several local partners are eager to announce exciting activities to celebrate National Groundwater Awareness Week.
The Health Department is a DATCP-certified water testing laboratory and can test your private well water for coliform bacteria and E. coli at our lab here in Dodgeville. We partner with an outside lab to test for nitrates, arsenic and lead. “We are proud of this important service available right here in Iowa County”, stated Debbie Siegenthaler, Director, Iowa County Health Department.
“National Groundwater Awareness Week is a terrific time to bring awareness to this valuable service and encourage residents with private wells to test their water,” added Siegenthaler. Test kits available at the Health Department include bacteria, nitrate, arsenic and lead water testing bottles. You can call or stop in to pick up your testing kits anytime Monday-Friday between 8:00am-4:30pm.
As part of promoting awareness of well water testing in the month of March, we are announcing several partners who are collaborating with us to coordinate additional access points in the county.
Local partner locations where residents can pick up a well water test kit include:
• Dodgeville Public Library: 9am- 6pm Monday-Friday and 9am-noon on Saturday.
• Cobb Public Library: Monday and Wednesday 4pm-7pm; Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am-5:30pm; Saturday 9:30am-12:30pm.
• Mineral Point Public Library: Monday-Wednesday 10am-5:30pm; Thursday 10am-8pm; Friday 10am- 5:30pm; Saturday 10am-4pm.
• B. Kurt Dairy in Barneveld: Tuesday and Thursday 2pm-6pm; Saturday 10am-1pm.
Test kits are available at each of the above locations, but please understand that once you collect your water sample, the sample(s) must be dropped off at the Iowa County Health Department in Dodgeville (Monday through Thursday). Water samples cannot be dropped off at the libraries due to our lab certification quality control requirements.
“Spring is a good time for rural Iowa County residents to test their well water’s safety. Most private wells provide safe drinking water, but well contamination problems can increase after spring thaw,” commented Katie Abbott, County Conservationist, Iowa County Land Conservation Department.
Private wells can become contaminated if bacteria are not filtered out as water soaks into the ground. Surviving bacteria can find its way into the groundwater by moving through shallow fractured bedrock, quarries, sinkholes, inadequately grouted wells, or cracks in the well casing.
Insects or small rodents can also carry bacteria into wells that have inadequate caps or seals. DNR and DHS recommend that people test their private wells at least once a year for bacteria and nitrates, and any time they notice a change in how their water looks, tastes or smells. It is especially important to know nitrate levels if the water is to be consumed by a pregnant woman or an infant. Too much nitrate in a well could harm a fetus or infant. Nitrate is Wisconsin’s most common groundwater contaminant; statewide, about ten percent of wells exceed the nitrate standard of 10 milligrams per liter.
Follow the Iowa County Health Department Facebook page to see what other promotion related activities will be happening during National Groundwater Awareness Week.
More information can be found at https://www.iowacountywi.gov/departments/HealthDepartment/Water TestingforPrivateWells.
Call the Iowa County Health Department with questions at 608.930.9870.