Grantee Research Project Results
Morrow County – Drinking Water Contamination Investigation in Northeast Oregon
EPA Grant Number: EM840650Title: Morrow County – Drinking Water Contamination Investigation in Northeast Oregon
Investigators: Mabbott, Tamra
Institution: Morrow County, Oregon
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2026
Project Amount: $1,700,000
RFA: Congressionally Directed Spending (2023)
Research Category: Aquifer , Groundwater, Contaminants, Treatment , Drinking Water
Objective:
The overall goal of the project is to protect public health by increasing access to safe drinking water for domestic well users in northern Morrow and Umatilla Counties in the area of the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area (LUBGWMA), specifically to address elevated concentrations of nitrate. The project has three specific objectives. The first is to better characterize the spatial extent and severity of the nitrate contamination to identify areas where connection to public/community water systems is feasible. The second objective is to educate domestic well users about nitrate impacts and maximize participation in the well sampling network for the project. The third objective is to evaluate where connections to existing community water system are feasible and identify other alternatives for providing clean drinking water where connection is not feasible to impacted well users in the project area.
Approach:
The project will develop a workplan and quality assurance project plan for collecting well samples and well data to support the objectives of this project. The workplan will leverage data from previous and on-going well testing efforts and data for the region, as well as coordinate with stage agencies to identify and prioritize the wells for sampling. Outreach and messaging materials will be developed in coordination with the County Public Health Department and used for web/on-line communications and at community events and door-to-door methods. These outreach efforts will also be leveraged to gain access to domestic wells for the sampling network. A data management plan and database will be developed to manage and track data collected in coordination with state agencies to further characterize nitrate pollution in the project area. Data will be analyzed to assess the geographic extent of the impacted wells and delineate areas where extension of public water systems or development of new community water systems may be feasible. A planning-level alternatives analysis will be developed, including a preliminary technical feasibility and economic analysis of options for impacted well users to develop an action plan for the Counties with recommended short-term and long term alternatives.
Expected Results:
The comprehensive data collected from the project will result in alternatives to provide domestic well users with access to safe drinking water specific to different areas in the LUBGWMA. Alternatives may include extending public water supplier connections, installing treatment systems, developing new community water systems, deepening wells, and other options as determined during the project. The data and database developed for this project will be on a platform available for long-term use by public agencies and other parties. Beyond the near-term benefits of identifying safe drinking water options for domestic well users, we anticipate that the evaluation and characterization of the nitrate data will also be available to support the long-term restoration of groundwater resource in the region and add to the understanding of the fate and transport of nitrate in the region. This information can in turn help inform mitigation, adaptation and restoration approaches in other regions with major agriculture activities
Supplemental Keywords:
nitrate, domestic well, drinking water, groundwater, northwest, Umatilla River Basin, OregonThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.