Summary
Drinking water contamination from nutrient pollution is a serious concern for Illinois farmers and rural residents. One quarter of Illinois residents depend on a private well for drinking water, yet information on nitrate levels in Illinois rural wells is limited and sparse. Currently available evidence indicates that nitrate levels are rising in many of the state’s towns and cities, forcing those communities to purchase expensive nitrate treatment facilities. If Illinois is to make progress on the problem of nutrient pollution, impacted residents must be engaged and activated, and that requires much more robust data on how, where, and to what extent nitrates are contaminating wells.
While available nitrate data suggests low overall nitrate levels in Illinois, the state has hotspots with some of the highest nitrate levels in the country. A statewide survey identifying hotspot locations and calling attention to local water quality presents an opportunity to engage farmers and other rural residents on the issue of nutrient pollution.
To assess the feasibility of Illinois performing a statewide rural well survey of nitrate contamination, Prairie Rivers Network interviewed state agency and nonprofit staff from neighboring states that have completed similar projects. The surveys provided detailed insight into the financial and staffing resources necessary to accomplish this kind of survey. This information was subsequently shared with Illinois agency staff. While Illinois state agencies have been understaffed and underfunded in recent years, local agency staff do have the necessary technical expertise for this project. Prairie Rivers Network’s research into grant programs in Illinois indicates that, while Illinois agencies cannot directly access available grant funds, a third party could act as the grantee and then contract the agency to perform the work. Prairie Rivers Network is eligible for these government grants, or there may be other parties able and interested in taking on that role.
