Thousands of private wells throughout CT farming regions contain nitrogen contamination in drinking water.
There are rising levels of pollution from the tons of fertilizer and other forms of nitrogen applied each year throughout the state.
Fertilizing in the fall, is when the risk to water is greatest and should try to be avoided.
Increasingly widespread contaminants can be lethal to infants and harmful to livestock which is why it is so important to regularly test your drinking water, especially if it comes from a private wall.
On the plus side, technological advances now provide farmers exquisitely precise information on just how much fertilizer to apply. As a result, nitrogen use could be cut back.
Private well testing is so important in areas known to have groundwater problems. Relying on neighboring landowners to make the right choices when it comes to what pesticides and fertilizers they use is risky even though water quality and use is important to all of CT.
