CLARK COUNTY, Wis. — While technology was the focus at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days in Clark County, many people took advantage of a resource that helped determine the safety of their private wells.

Steve Janowiak found himself busy during the event. He’s a water supply specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

“If you have something with high nitrates it’s going to turn color,” Janowiak said.

Nitrates were the focus of the testing taking place at Farm Tech Days. On Wednesday, hundreds of families stopped by the DNR’s booth with samples of their well water. Janowiak and his team would register the water, test it, and share the results with the private well owners when they came back for answers.

“People coming in, they’re concerned about their water quality, the different contaminants that they can encounter,” he said. “When you own your own well, you are your own water system operator, there’s nobody else taking care of it.”

Janowiak said the number of people bringing in samples for testing encouraged him. He said that gave his team a chance to educate families on how to maintain their wells.

“What we’re looking for is just people drinking healthier water,” he said.

Janowiak said the booth will be open for testing through the conclusion of Farm Tech Days 2022, which wraps up Thursday, July 14.