Dr. Rianna Murray, researcher with CONSERVE, recently received a grant to work with a coalition of non-profit organizations to assess nitrate contamination in private drinking wells of Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore. The project, the Lower Shore Well Water Initiative, employs a citizen science approach and engages residents of Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties in testing their well water to determine their risk of nitrate contamination. Nitrates are an important plant nutrient, but in excess amounts, they can contaminate the groundwater that people rely on for their drinking water and endanger health. On Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore, common sources of nitrogen include over-application of poultry manure to crops, as well as discharges from septic systems.
For more information and to have your well tested, please visit: https://www.lowershoresafewells.com/
