MORROW COUNTY, Ore.-
The state of emergency is over for Morrow County.
High levels of nitrates have been discovered in people’s wells in the rural areas, around Boardman and Irrigon.
Nitrates can cause a lot of different health issues such as cancer and thyroid dysfunction.
Morrow county Emergency manager Paul Gray says the state is stepping in to take the necessary steps to find out how to make cities like Boardman and Irrigon’s water is safe to drink.
“We’re still getting money. We’re still going to be actively involved with the community,” said Gray
The state has better resources than Morrow county.
“They’re going to be testing for more than just nitrates so that we’ve got a better idea of where the nitrates are coming from,” said Gray.
Laura Gleim the spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Gray both say there are many different ways that nitrates get into the water.
“Nitrate contamination is common in groundwater in agricultural areas throughout Oregon and the United States. That’s because nitrogen is used in fertilizer that’s applied to crop fields,” said Gleim.
Gleim says several other sources can pump nitrate into the water wells, including septic systems, farms, or ranches.
70% of nitrates come from fertilizer or irrigated lands, 20% from cattle and a combination of septic systems and businesses make up 5% of nitrates going into the groundwater.
Residents whose water has nitrate levels above 10 are instructed to not drink the water, nor even cook with the water. Boiling the water also does not kill the nitrates like it does bacteria.You may shower with the water but must avoid the water getting into your eyes, mouth, and nose.Water filters like reverse osmosis can be used to clean your water from nitrate. A standard filter does not work.Gleim urges all residents who drink from a private well to test their water. Gray told me there’s some misinformation going around about the bottled water delivery stopping and they won’t be supplying the water anymore, something he wants residents to know. Gray says just because the emergency is over, this doesn’t mean the county will stop supplying bottled water. “We have a contract with the Oregon Department of Human Services. The office of Resiliency and the office of Emergency Management to cover the reimbursement of those water deliveries from the beginning of this until the end of March right now,” said Gray. Gray says if need be the county has enough money to supply bottled water until June. The water handled by the city is not affected and does not need to be tested. Morrow county officials are expected to meet with the state on Monday, January 23rd to discuss the next steps for moving forward.
