Artesian Well Water Quality

The City of Olympia, Public Works Department closely monitors the water quality of the Artesian Well and reports to the Department of Health. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Test Results

Other than manganese, the water quality at the well meets state and federal drinking water standards. 

• Manganese is a naturally occurring metal.  Manganese does not cause health concerns but can cause aesthetic issues such as objectionable tastes or water stains. 
• The maximum contaminant level allowed for manganese is 0.05 parts per million (ppm) and the well tests at 0.316 ppm.  Parts per million is a unit of measurement.  One part per million is equivalent to about half of a dissolved aspirin table (or 162 mg) in a full bathtub of water (about 50 gallons), one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000.  PPM is interchangeable with milligrams per liter (mg/L).

Testing Schedule

The well is tested monthly for bacteria, annually for nitrate (the source of nitrate is from fertilizers or from animal or human waste), and once every three years for inorganic chemicals (e.g., substances which are usually of mineral origin like iron and manganese) and organic chemicals (e.g., manmade compounds that escape readily into the air from water like benzene, vinyl chloride).

 

Contact Water Quality Staff:

The City of Olympia has great quality water - and we're proud of that! In fact, our water continues to meet or exceed State and Federal drinking water standards. We employ a team of experienced and dedicated professionals to ensure the City's water is safe to drink. Have questions? please contact our staff. We're here to help!

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City Contact Information:

• Visit our City Services page for links to other City Services and contact information
• Contact us at publicworks@ci.olympia.wa.us