Horizon Public Health is proud to announce the receipt of a Safe Drinking Water for Private Well Users Grant from the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Clean Water Funds. This grant aims to promote well testing among private well users and to provide financial assistance to eligible households to address private well water-quality issues. Horizon Public Health will collaborate with Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens and Traverse Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) offices to implement this initiative.

MDH has allocated funding from the Clean Water Fund to ensure safe drinking water for private well users across the state. A portion of this funding is being distributed as grants to promote private well testing and to provide financial assistance to households facing water-quality issues. Horizon Public Health has been awarded $100,000, which will be utilized between May 1, 2024, and April 30, 2027. The focus will be on promoting well testing for households that rely on private wells for drinking water, including testing for five common contaminants: arsenic, coliform bacteria, lead, manganese and nitrate. Additionally, the grant will provide financial assistance to mitigate high levels of these contaminants for eligible households.

This grant opportunity represents the second phase of funding for eligible grantees who have previously received the Safe Drinking Water for Private Well Users grant. The initial phase successfully raised awareness and facilitated well testing, and this subsequent funding aims to build on that progress by addressing identified issues more comprehensively.

Horizon Public Health anticipates that funding for private well testing and mitigation will be made available to eligible households in the fall of 2024. Through this grant, Horizon Public Health aims to ensure that all residents within its five-county jurisdiction have access to safe and clean drinking water, thereby protecting public health and enhancing the quality of life in the community.

For more information about the grant or to find out if your household qualifies for testing and financial assistance, please visit the website at www.horizonpublichealth.org or contact the office directly at 320-763-6018.