MASON CITY – The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health has received a two-year grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve local unregulated drinking water systems (private wells).
This grant can be split into two parts. In the first part, the Health Department will gather existing data from local and state databases and combine them to identify possible health risks for individuals who use private well water. The Health Department will partner with an information technology contractor to assist in the creation of web based data system that will allow for public access. The public will be able to view information on private well water and septic system data.
In the second part of the grant, the Health Department will take the data and identify Cerro Gordo County private wells that may be at risk for unsafe drinking water. Education and water testing kits will be prioritized and distributed based on those results.
“This is a great opportunity for the Health Department to better understand private drinking water issues in the county,” said Erik Gustafson, Project Coordinator at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health. “Incorporating all of our data system information regarding private well water and septic systems will allow us to be more effective and transparent to better serve our public.”
Partners in this grant include Iowa Department of Public Health, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, University of Iowa, Iowa State University Extension, North Iowa Water Company and local well and septic contractors.
People in this county just do not realize how much the Health Department does for them. Instead of burning up taxpayer money for their projects they go after and are awarded grants to pay for health initiatives. Forget the Blue Zone the city pushes as it will continue to cost the taxpayers and pay attention to the Wellness Program put on by the Health Department. You will be much farther ahead.
They got a gubm’t grant, taxpayer money, to crunch the numbers for a year and then provide test kits to a handful of private well users that are consuming potentially contaminated water. Not one of their more stellar projects. I wonder what this cost us?