JACKSON, Wyo. — Protect your household from harmful drinking water pollution with Protect Our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH).
Nitrogen compounds like nitrates and nitrites are found in all living animals and plants. While they are essential elements for life on earth and are naturally present in soil and water everywhere, human activity has increased environmental nitrate concentrations considerably over the past 100 years.
Nitrate consumption can cause serious and potentially life-threatening effects on human health. Nitrates interfere with our hemoglobin, which is responsible for the delivery of oxygen throughout the body. In the 1960s, it was discovered that chronic exposure to elevated nitrate concentrations in drinking water could cause Blue Baby Syndrome (Methemoglobinemia) in infants. This condition was usually fatal if not treated promptly, leading the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a maximum acceptable level in drinking water at 10 mg/L.
In addition, peer-reviewed research suggests that short-term exposure to nitrates at levels lower than 10 mg/L during pregnancy can be associated with adverse reproductive outcomes, including low birth weight, preterm birth, or central nervous system defects in infants. Children and adults with cardiovascular, pulmonary, intestinal, or metabolic diseases are also at risk.
The long-term effects of nitrate exposure are still being studied. More current studies indicate that chronic exposure at lower levels, starting at 2 mg/L, may be associated with an enhanced risk of digestive system cancers, such as colorectal cancer and thyroid issues in adults. More research is needed to understand the complex biochemistry of nitrate exposure through drinking water, specifically how extended exposure to lower levels (2-10 mg/L) impacts human health.
In November 2024, Protect Our Water Jackson Hole (POWJH) released information on its Health Advisory for Nitrates in Drinking Water. This advisory compiles the state of current research into the harmful health effects of chronic exposure to nitrates. POWJH considers drinking water with nitrate levels greater than 2 mg/L to be impacted by human activity and advises that water at or above this level should not be consumed. In Teton County, WY nitrate levels as high as 15 mg/L have been detected.
Nitrates and fecal indicator bacteria (E.coli and Total Coliform) are the two most common contaminants in both surface waters and groundwater in Teton County. Since 2020, both Fish Creek and Flat Creek have been impaired for primary contact recreation by elevated E. coli concentrations. Soon, Fish Creek will become Wyoming’s first lotic ecosystem (e.g. a flowing aquatic ecosystem like a river or creek) impaired by excess nutrients. Recently, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a final report into an investigation of the cause of elevated nitrate levels in Hoback Junction’s groundwater. The report concluded that the major known source of nitrates in groundwater is related to the density of septic systems in the area. In other words, local wastewater pollution is the most likely culprit for local drinking water contamination.
It is important to consider that many residents and businesses of Teton County get their drinking water from private wells or springs, which have no monitoring requirements or oversight from the EPA. If your household relies on a private well or spring for drinking water, it is your responsibility to regularly test your water to ensure it is safe to drink.
Next week, POWJH is hosting a free drinking water well testing event to coincide with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s annual “Know Your Well Day” on March 13. Any private well owner in Teton County, Wyoming can participate, and test kits will be available in both English and Spanish. The well test kits will look at two contaminants of concern – nitrates and fecal indicator bacteria. This program is funded by a POWJH EPA Environmental Education grant. Residents who want to participate in the program can come to their office–The WaterShed–at 250 E. Broadway in Jackson and pick up test kits Monday, March 10 to Wednesday, March 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Learn more at powjh.org/well-testing.
