Do you want to test your well water? Rural residents who want to check the safety and quality of their water can get some extra help this month, as the Powell Clarks-Fork and Cody conservation districts are sponsoring a Rural Well Test Day on Wednesday, April 29.

The two districts will not only cover half the cost of a water well test — paying $69 of the typical $138 total — they’ll also shuttle the water samples to Energy Lab in Billings. The lab will then check the samples for substances like lead, nitrate, nitrite plus nitrate, total coliform bacteria and E. coli.

“Many residents would like to get their well water tested but don’t know how,” said Powell Clarks Fork Conservation District Manager Teresa Stone. “We want to make it easy and more affordable for our rural residents to test their well water.”

Residents across northern Park County on private, noncommercial wells are welcome to participate. Those interested in participating in Rural Well Test Day must sign an agreement and pick up a free well testing kit at their local conservation district office sometime before Rural Well Test Day. They’ll then need to collect a water sample and bring it to the conservation district office between 8 a.m. and noon on April 29.

Conservation district staff will then shuttle all the samples to Energy Laboratories in Billings for testing. Residents will receive their results within 10 days. The districts will also receive results from the testing, but will keep all personal information confidential.

The cost sharing programs are being paid for with water quality grants from the Wyoming Department of Agriculture.

If grant funds are still available after Rural Well Test Day, the districts’ cost-share programs will continue to reimburse residents up to $69 for a well water quality test they get on their own.

“Anyone can take advantage of the program throughout the year, but they are responsible for getting their test to Billings,” Stone said.

Those in the rural Powell, Clark, Garland and Ralston areas can get more information from the Powell Clarks Fork Conservation District by visiting pcfcd.org, emailing powellclarksforkconservation@gmail.com or calling 307-271-3125. The district office is located at 1017 U.S. Highway 14A in Powell.

Meanwhile, those in rural Cody and the North and South Fork areas can get in touch with the Cody Conservation District by visiting codyconservationdistrict.com, calling 307-578-8335 or emailing hello@codyconservationdistrict.com. Its office is located at 1501 Stampede Ave., Suite 3290 in Cody.