EPA and Yakima Valley dairies sign agreement to reduce groundwater nitrate levels

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and four dairies of the Yakima Valley in Washington state, have reached a legal agreement to reduce nitrate levels from the region’s groundwater.

The agreement also covers minimising nitrate levels from the nearby drinking water wells in the area.

Lower Yakima Valley Groundwater Management Area (GWMA), a recently formed agency, has been working to reduce nitrate concentration to the levels suggested by the EPA.

Water quality of the groundwater is declining due to discharge of excess nitrogen from dairies, agricultural sources and septic systems.

As per the terms of the agreement, the dairies will provide alternative drinking water resources to the residents living within one mile radius, where the nitrate levels in drinking wells are above the EPA’s standard of ten parts per million.

The dairies will also take necessary steps and action to control the sources of nitrogen such as commercial fertiliser and manure at the facilities, from seeping into groundwater.

Terms of the legal agreement also ensure that the dairies will undertake soil and groundwater tests to examine if the nitrogen sources are being controlled.

US EPA Seattle regional administrator Dennis McLerran said the agreement will support those who are working locally to protect the Yakima Valley groundwater.

"By working constructively with us in this local situation, the dairies have committed to protect drinking water and we have committed to collaborate on practices that keep people safe and farms in business," McLerran added.

"We expect to continue our work with state and local partners and the GWMA process to build on this collaborative effort to better understand and control other sources of nitrates in a meaningful manner."

The Washington State Department of Agriculture also supported the agreement.

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Image: The headquarters of the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. Photo: Courtesy of Coolcaesar.