An environmental advocacy group warns a lack of data about nitrate levels in private well water could be hiding a significant public health problem.
Nitrates are a component of agricultural fertilizers. Consumption of nitrates in drinking water poses health hazards, including higher risk of cancer and "blue baby syndrome."
Prairie Rivers Network Agriculture Programs Specialist Catie Gregg says a statewide survey of private wells hasn't happened in decades.
"Currently, Illinois is in the process of updating their state water plan," she said. "So now would be a really good time to have that information to inform our plans for the future."
Public water supplies are regularly tested for nitrate contamination. But Gregg says the limited information they do have about nitrate content in private well water is alarming. The National Water Quality Assessment Program found the Illinois private wells they surveyed have among the highest nitrate content levels they found in the country.
"Contaminants, it can have acute health impacts, especially on babies," she said. "It can be just the nitrate levels spike, and real quick, it can have a health impact."
A recent PRN survey showed only a third of private well owners have tested their water for nitrates in the past year. Gregg says the ongoing state water survey also offers an opportunity to educate farmers and rural landowners about sustainable practices which can reduce runoff into the water supply.
"There are options for farmers. Every farm is different, but there is generally something every farm could be doing to improve water quality," she said.
Gregg says that education will also help combat climate change. Nitrate runoff into rivers and streams ultimately contributes to algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Those cause the so-called "red tides" harmful to humans and other organisms alike.
