WELD COUNTY — County residents concerned about the impact from oil and gas drilling on their wells are now able to get free ground-water testing from the county’s Department of Public Health and Environment laboratory.
    The lab, according to a Weld County news release, has a new gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer instrument to conduct testing. Chemist Mark Thomas said it’s an exciting addition to the lab.
    “We are talking about testing parts per billion,” Thomas said. “That is like saying we can measure something that is as small as one eyedropper drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.”
    Thomas said water samples will be analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and a report will tell how prominent they are — if at all — in the water.
    “We anticipate that individuals in the county who use well-water will want to take advantage of this test so they can have base-line information to which they can compare future tests.”
    Before the chromatograph and spectrometer was acquired, residents had to pay private labs or the state for VOC testing. Weld County received a grant from the Federal Mineral Lease Board last spring that made the purchase possible.
    “Weld County chose to use that grant funding for the purchase of this instrument in order to provide a water-testing service for our residents” said Commissioner Dave Long. The cost of the instrument was approximately $145,000.
    For additional fees, the county can also test water samples for metals, ions, pH and bacteria.
     “The instrument has been certified, and we are ready to begin testing,” said lab manager Cherlyn Darnell. “The process for residents to request sampling is in place and is as easy as making a phone call.”
    To have your well-water sampled, call 970-304-6415 and provide your name, address and phone number so county staff can set up an appointment to collect water samples, which must be done by a staff member to ensure no surface-level contaminants interfere with testing.
    “If you fill your car up with gas earlier in the day, or even mow your lawn prior to the sample being collected, that fuel could show up in the analysis of the sample,” said Thomas. “It is that sensitive.”
    Estimated turn-around time for test results is two weeks from sample collection. The VOC testing is available up to twice a year to county residents at no charge.