Some residents receiving letters from state ordering well sealing
Some Mower County property owners recently received a letter from the state about a well on their property that might need to be sealed, and it's a good reminder that cost-share assistance remains available for that work.
Mower Soil & Water Conservation District in Austin has heard from several property owners who received a letter from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) about a well on their property. State officials are working through a backlog of well-disclosure certificates submitted at some point to MDH when the property was purchased.
This MDH letter states that, if the well in question is not being used, the property owner has 90 days to get the well properly sealed, have the well put back into use or obtain a well maintenance permit.
An unused well can act like a drain that allows surface water runoff, contaminated water or improperly disposed waste a direct path into drinking water sources. When this happens, everyone's drinking water quality is threatened. It also poses as a safety hazard for children and animals.
"No matter if you have received a letter from the state, everyone should plan to seal a well that they no longer use, especially when cost-share funding remains available," said Tim Ruzek, Mower SWCD's water plan and outreach coordinator. "These funds are not guaranteed every year, so we encourage these property owners to work on getting it sealed soon."
Minnesota law requires the seller of property to provide information to the buyer and the state (MDH) about the location and status of all wells on the property.
Cost-share assistance for sealing wells - typically offering to cover 50 percent of costs up to a certain level - remains available for all Mower County property owners thanks to state and federal funding designated by Mower SWCD for that practice. Cost-share details vary depending on whether the well is in the watershed-planning area of the Cedar River (western Mower County) or Root River (eastern Mower).
Those interested in applying for cost-share for their well sealing should contact Ruzek to learn about the process and apply to the Mower SWCD Board of Supervisors. They can email him at tim@mowerdistrict.org or call 507-460-4577.