Water tests of private wells have been positive for these contaminates.
“We just can’t be taking chances drinking and using water with too much coliform or nitrates,” Toeterville resident Vickie Bruggeman said.
In May and June, three of the wells in Toeterville also tested positive for E. coli bacteria, but have not since, Bruggeman said.
There are 52 residents in 22 houses using water from private wells.
“All of the 16 wells in town are old. The newest was drilled about 30 years ago or more,” Bruggeman said at a recent community meeting.
The problem goes far beyond Toeterville.
Sub-standard drinking water is a concern facing many unincorporated towns, homes and rural churches, according to Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials.
Older wells are often too shallow, have cracked casings, improper grouting and other flaws that create sanitary problems.
When treatments such as “shocking” with chlorine or attaching a chlorinator are not successful, the only solution may be a new well.
“We’ve talked about putting in cluster wells,” Bruggeman said. “because with 16 wells in town, there would not be enough space for new leach fields.”
Upgraded sewer treatment, including leach fields and septic systems, are often necessary when replacing aging wells, according to Brain Hanft, environmental health service manager for North Central Iowa Regional Inspections Division.
Using cluster wells makes it necessary for property owners to form water associations to pay for initial costs, testing and on-going maintenance of the wells, Hanft said.
There are also distance restrictions: a residential well must be 50 feet from septic tanks and 100 feet from a leach field; a public water supply system must be 200 feet from the leach field.
“Testing of wells and some septic systems need to be part of the maintenance,” Hanft said. “Don’t just drill a well and assume the water will remain safe.”
Most rural churches, including St. Peter Lutheran in Toeterville, fall into the category of a public water supply under federal regulations.
Steve Hopkins, water operations program supervisor for Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said the regulations are that any source of water with the “potential” for use by 25 people a day for a minimum of 60 days a year is considered a public water supply.
Churches, campgrounds, restaurants, swimming pools, lounges, golf courses — any entity that falls into those numbers is considered public water.
“That line was drawn in the sand back in 1974,” Hopkins said. “Hundreds of rural churches and other public water sources have complied, but there are probably hundreds more that have flown under the radar.”
Until now, for two reasons — increased awareness by regulators and tests showing contaminated water, Hopkins said.
In the nine-county North Iowa area, Hanft said there are 17 rural churches now required to meet the standards for public water — six in Mitchell County, three in Hancock, two each in Franklin and Winnebago counties and one each in Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Worth and Wright counties. There are none in Kossuth County
“I certainly don’t believe we have identified all, and that is a public safety issue,” he said.
Drilling a “public source” well can have increased costs.
“There are more rigid construction standards,” said Dennis Alt, who supervises the DNR’s water supply engineering department.
A licensed engineer must draw up specifications and obtain a construction permit before drilling.
“Engineering can range from $700 to $2,500 for design and construction of a well,” Alt said. There are also important casing and grouting requirements to prevent contamination.”
And there is a $25 annual operating permit as well as minimal testing — quarterly for coliform bacteria and annual for nitrates.
“That all costs money that a lot of these small, rural churches don’t have,” said Mitchell County Supervisor Stan Walk. “I feel the DNR is trying to shove this down the throats of small churches that should never fall into the public category.
“And there is no money out there, no programs, to help ease the burden,” Walk said.
Hanft and Hopkins agree that at this time there are is no government funding to offset the increased costs of drilling private or small public water supply wells.
“But that does not change the law or the public health concern,” Hopkins said.
Reach Jan Horgen at 421-0534 or jan.horgen@globegazette.com.
