Test your well water for free
One of the most vital components of recovering your property is ensuring the safety of your drinking water. To help in this effort, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is providing free private well testing vouchers to property owners impacted by the 2020 Labor Day wildfires.
Even if the fire did not directly damage your well, or if you have already repaired damage to your well, testing is an important step in ensuring your water is safe drink. OHA vouchers will cover the cost of testing for Arsenic, Nitrate, Bacteria, Lead, and, depending on damage assessment results, Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylenes.
Here’s how it works:
Determine if you are eligible for the program
The property was impacted by the 2020 Oregon wildfires.
The well water is used for things like drinking, bathing, cooking and washing dishes.
The well has three or fewer connections and is not part of a regulated water system.
OHA will send you a voucher and instructions in the mail on how to collect a sample from your well.
Follow OHA’s guidance on how to assess your well and collect a water sample.
Submit the sample and voucher to a laboratory for testing; OHA will provide lab locations near you. The voucher will cover the cost of the lab test.
OHA will contact you with your test results and next steps, if needed.
More information, eligibility criteria and applications are online. Application deadline is May 15, 2021. Vouchers are limited, so apply today!
Note: You do not need to participate in the Step 2 cleanup program to qualify for OHA’s well testing voucher.
