2026 Offerings of the Private Well Stewardship Program
The Private Well Stewardship Program will again be offered in April 2026. The complete list of April events can be found below along with registration details. Reach out to your local county Extension office if you'd like the program offered in your area.
Current 2026 Offerings
| Date | County | Location | Registration |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 26 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Winneshiek | Winneshiek County Extension Office, 2316 Sweet Parkway Road in Decorah | Contact Alexandria McIntyre at (563) 382-2949 or alliemc@iastate.edu |
| March 31 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Johnson | Johnson County Extension Office, 3109 Old Highway 218 South in Iowa City | Register here: https://go.iastate.edu/N9UAGI or by calling the Johnson County Extension Office: 319-337-2145 |
| April 1 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Jones | Jones County Extension Office, 800 North Maple Street, Suite 2, Monticello | Contact Brooke Paulsen at (319) 465-3224 or paulsenb@iastate.edu |
| April 2 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Clinton | Clinton County Extension Office, 400 East 11th St. in Dewitt | Contact Allie Cannon at (563) 659-5125 or cannona@iastate.edu |
| April 6 from 6:00-7:15pm | Sac | Sac County Extension Office, 620 Park Ave. in Sac City | Contact Lauri Niehaus at (712) 662-7131 or laurin@iastate.edu |
| April 7 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Calhoun | Calhoun County Extension Office, 325 Court St. in Rockwell City | Contact Caitlyn Butler at (712) 297-8611 or cnbutler@iastate.edu |
| April 9 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Hancock | Hancock County Extension Office, 327 W 8th St, Garner | Register at this link. Or, by contacting the Hancock County Extension Office: (641) 923-2856 |
| April 14 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Chickasaw | Chickasaw County Extension Office, 115 N Broadway Ave. in New Hampton | Contact Amanda Tupper (641) 394-2174 or xchickasaw@iastate.edu |
| April 15 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Fayette | Fayette County Extension Office, 218 S Main St. in Fayette | Contact Kathy Hennings at (563) 425-3331 or kathyh@iastate.edu |
| April 23 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Cedar | Cedar County Extension Office in the Farm Bureau Ag Center, 1138 210th St. in Tipton | Contact Teresa Bohlmann at (563) 886-6157 or tbohlman@iastate.edu |
| April 28 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Iowa | Lake Iowa Park - Iowa County Nature Center, 2550 G Ave in Ladora | Contact Christie Martin at (319) 668-1052 or cam1@iastate.edu |
| April 30 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Hardin & Franklin | Maynes Grove Lodge, 946 US-65N, Hampton, IA 50441 | Missy Crawford: meljcraw@iastate.edu Franklin: 641-456-4811 or Hardin: 641-6480-4850 |
| September 8 from 6:00 - 7:15pm | Lyon | TBD | TBD |
The Private Well Stewardship Program is an educational program offered through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in which private well owners learn about the responsibilities and risks of being a private well owner and are connected to resources to manage their well. Attendees will be connected to both local experts and funding to safeguard their well, review the common contaminants found in Iowa wells, and discuss factors that affect well water quality.
This program is designed for busy Iowans, consisting of a single one-and-a-quarter hour session that will help Iowans safeguard their drinking water.
Additional information on private wells
Informational one-pager on keeping your well water safe.
Why should you offer or attend this program?
In Iowa, there are two main sources of drinking water: public water supplies and private wells. Public water supplies include city water utilities and rural water supplies that are regulated to maintain specific water quality standards. Conversely, maintaining private well water quality is the responsibility of individual landowners. Iowa Administrative code requires water sampling after new well construction, well reconstruction and well rehabilitation, but assuring the continued water quality is the responsibility of the landowner. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control all recommend that private well owners test their water quality annually.
About 7% of Iowans, or 230,000 individuals, rely on private wells. Only 5-10% of households with private wells test their water quality annually. (Source: Iowa Department of Public Health)
Why should you test your well annually?
There are many reasons to test your well! It all boils down to knowing what you are drinking. Here’s a couple reasons:
- Testing your water annually will help keep you, your family, pets, livestock and others safe.
- Some pollutants are odorless and tasteless and will not be removed by boiling water.
- Pollutants like bacteria, arsenic and nitrate are found at elevated levels in 10-30% of private wells in Iowa. (Source: Iowa Department of Health and Human Services)
- Iowa has a unique program that allows for free or low-cost annual testing of private wells.
What is the Private Well Grant Program program?
All counties in Iowa participate in a program called the Private Well Grant Program that allows for free or low cost annual testing for private wells. In order to access the program contact your county department of public health and they will send a county employee to take your sample for you. These county employees are called Environmental Health Specialists or Sanitarians, and are a knowledgeable resource for private well owners. Sanitarians are trained to take an accurate water sample and to help you interpret your results.
Are you interested in taking part in the Private Well Stewardship Program?
Contact your county ISU Extension and Outreach office and ask if they are offering the Private Well Stewardship Program in your area. Or, you can contact Catherine DeLong (crdelong@iastate.edu, 515-294-5963), water quality program manager at ISU Extension and Outreach, who leads the program.
This work is supported by the Iowa Farm Bureau and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Project No. IOW05570.