Environment Department to offer free domestic water well testing and home radon test kits at Cabinet in Your Community events
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 8, 2024
Contact: Jorge Estrada, Public Relations Coordinator
New Mexico Environment Department
505.690.5326 | george.estrada@env.nm.gov
Environment Department to offer free domestic water well testing and home radon test kits at Cabinet in Your Community events
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will offer free domestic well water testing, free home radon test kits, and a number of informational resources at upcoming Cabinet in Your Community events in Farmington and Shiprock on April 11-12.
The first Governor’s Cabinet in Your Community event of 2024 will kick off in Farmington on Thursday, April 11, at 3 p.m. at Animas Elementary School. The Farmington resource fair will begin at 3 p.m. followed by a town hall at 4 p.m. On Friday, cabinet secretaries will host a second Cabinet in Your Community event at Shiprock High School. A resource fair will kick off at 1 p.m. followed by a community town hall at 2 p.m.
To have water tested, residents need to bring a sample of their water to the event. Use these guidelines to ensure the sample is collected correctly:
• Let the water run for 2-3 minutes before collecting the sample.
• Fill a clean glass or plastic container without any odors with at least a quart or liter of your well water.
• If the home has a whole house filtration system, collect the water at the well head prior to any filtration or softener systems if possible.
• Fill the container with water as close to the time of testing as possible.
Along with the water sample, residents should bring basic information known about the well such as well depth, depth to water, well casing material (i.e., steel, PVC), well latitude and longitude and distance from the well to the nearest septic tank or leachfield system. Well water tests typically cost about $150 but will be free to the first 100 participants or while supplies last. Test results will be mailed to the households following the event. Learn more about the water fair program.
If well owners are unable to attend the event but would like to have their water tested, they may have a sample brought to the event by a family member or neighbor, provided the bottle is clearly labeled and has the owner’s name, phone number, address and well information attached. Only water that comes from homes that rely on private wells for drinking water will be tested.
NMED staff will also distribute 100 radon test kits at the event. These kits allow residents to test for radon in their homes. Radon is an odorless, colorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas resulting from the radioactive decay of uranium, which exists in most soils. Radon can enter homes and buildings from under a slab, crawlspace or basement. When radon is inhaled, lungs can be seriously damaged. Studies have determined that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is also believed to be the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The only way to determine if a home or building has elevated indoor radon is to test.
Other NMED resources available at the event include:
• OSHA’s Small Business On-Site Consultation Program will answer questions about workplace safety
• Information on how to obtain a Temporary Food Permit
• Sign-up for the Utility Operator Training Program
• Engagement in Climate Action Planning
• CREW Uranium Remediation Training Program with San Juan College
• Application Assistance from NMED’s Radiological and Chemical Advocacy Office
• Demonstration of Air Monitoring in Your Community equipment
Additional Cabinet in Your Community events will take place throughout the year in locations around the state. More information about NMED events can be found here .
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NMED does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age or sex in the administration of its programs or activities, as required by applicable laws and regulations. NMED is responsible for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries concerning non-discrimination requirements implemented by 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and 7, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 13 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972. If you have any questions about this notice or any of NMED’s non-discrimination programs, policies or procedures, you may contact: Kate Cardenas , Non-Discrimination Coordinator | NMED |1190 St. Francis Dr., Suite N4050 | P.O. Box 5469 | Santa Fe, NM 87502 or (505) 827-2855 or nd.coordinator@env.nm.gov . If you believe that you have been discriminated against with respect to a NMED program or activity, you may contact the Non-Discrimination Coordinator.
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