JOINT EFFORT TO ASSIST RURAL RESIDENTS

SOME RURAL RESIDENTS OFFERED FREE WELL TESTING IN THE DEXTER SANITARY SEWER DISTRICT

Letters went out on Friday, June 8, 2012 to 37 rural residents in the Dexter Sanitary Sewer District, in response to a potential concern that effluent might be leaching from nearby sewer lines, within close proximity to the potable water supply.

The issue was discussed at the Lane County Board of Commissioner’s meeting on May 16, 2012 and a county-wide team was formed to evaluate the situation.  That effort culminated in a meeting on Thursday, June 7, 2012, with a leadership team of Health and Human Services Medical Director, Dr. Patrick Luedtke, Health and Human Services Director, Alicia Hays, Environmental Health Supervisor Jeff Lang, Director of Community and Economic Development Glenda Poling, and Tom Poage of Poage Engineering. The Lane County team is coordinating with a local lab to provide some residents within the Dexter Sanitary Sewer District, free well water testing for HPC (Heterotrophic Plate Count),Coliform and e-coli contaminates.

Lane County Director of Health and Human Services, Alicia Hays says, “Understanding what, if any risk exists to the residents involved in this testing, is important to the health and safety of our citizens and is a first step in a series of steps for our grant specialists to identify available resources to assist the District in the quest to improve the sanitary system as a whole.”

When residents receive their letters, officials hope they will take advantage of this time-limited offer for free testing. Collection samples will be taken in a safe and secure manner, to ensure proper handling, no cross contamination and accurate readings.

The deadline to call to arrange for samples of your water to be collected is Friday, June 29, 2012 by 3 p.m. The phone number to call is: (541) 682-7231.

The water samples will be collected on Monday, July 9, 2012.