Beltrami SWCD, Red Lake DNR Offer 200 Free Well‑Water Test Kits

The Beltrami Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is distributing 200 free private well-water test kits to residents of Beltrami County in a program launched in partnership with the Red Lake Department of Natural Resources. The district is also referred to in some program materials as the Beltrami County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Any private well owner in Beltrami County or the Red Lake Nation is eligible to pick up a kit, program materials state, with the stated goal of improving local drinking water quality. The SWCD says testing will be performed by A. W. Research Laboratories Inc.

The laboratory will analyze samples for Total Coliform Bacteria and E. coli, nitrates, lead, arsenic, and manganese, according to the testing list provided in the program notice. These specific contaminants reflect common concerns for rural private wells across the Bemidji area and reservation communities.

Timing and chain-of-custody constraints are strict: "Samples can only be collected on Wednesdays after 10AM and must be delivered to Beltrami County Environmental Services by 4:30PM the same day. This is necessary to meet the holding times for the bacteria and nitrate samples." That requirement is intended to ensure bacteria and nitrate samples reach A. W. Research Laboratories Inc. within required holding times.

Kits are available for pickup at the Beltrami County Environmental Services Office, 701 Minnesota Ave NW Ste 113, Bemidji, MN 56601, and same-day samples must be returned to that office. Beltrami County Environmental Services can be reached at 218-333-4152 for questions about pickup and delivery logistics.

Red Lake Nation residents or tribal members seeking a kit or more information can contact Michelle Anderson at the Red Lake Department of Natural Resources at 218-679-1614 or by email at michelle.anderson@redlakenation.org.

Program materials note that if testing "identify unsafe levels of contaminants, residents may be eligible for water treatment and remediation assistance." The announcement does not include details on who administers that assistance, eligibility criteria, application steps, or funding sources.

The published materials do not specify several operational details many homeowners will need: there is no stated end date or replenishment plan beyond the 200 kits, no per-household limit noted, no documentation requirements for proving residency or private well ownership, and no turnaround time for lab results or description of how results will be delivered to residents.

Because only 200 kits are available, residents with private wells in Beltrami County or on the Red Lake Nation should pick up kits at 701 Minnesota Ave NW Ste 113 or call Beltrami County Environmental Services at 218-333-4152; Red Lake Nation residents can contact Michelle Anderson at 218-679-1614 or michelle.anderson@redlakenation.org for further instructions.