Yakima dairies aim for cleaner water

Taylor Winkel

Taylor Winkel Jul 2, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>Yakima dairies aim for cleaner water</h1>
                <h2><p>Dairies in the Yakima Valley are looking to reduce nitrate pollution in drinking water, caused by manure, according to KUOW. After a year of testing, The Environmental Protective Agency issued a report saying manure fertilization is likely the cause of nitrate pollution in residential wells. Now five dairies have signed</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/taylorjwinkel-gmail-com/">Taylor Winkel</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>Dairies in the Yakima Valley are looking to reduce nitrate pollution in drinking water, caused by manure, <a href="http://kuow.org/post/yakima-valley-dairies-pledge-reduce-nitrate-pollution?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">according to KUOW</a>. After a year of testing, The Environmental Protective Agency <a href="http://www.epa.gov/region10/pdf/sites/yakimagw/consent_order_progress_update_dec2014.pdf?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">issued a report</a> saying manure fertilization is likely the cause of nitrate pollution in residential wells. Now five dairies have signed consent orders with the EPA to address the issue. Nitrate is an “acute contaminant,” which can go into effect immediately after exposure. More than 10 milligrams of nitrate in drinking water can cause birth defects and health problems. Well water tested from residential wells located in the path that nitrate-polluted groundwater flows shows that 61 percent of them exceeded the maximum standard for nitrates. — T.W.</p>
          </article>

Dairies in the Yakima Valley are looking to reduce nitrate pollution in drinking water, caused by manure, according to KUOW. After a year of testing, The Environmental Protective Agency issued a report saying manure fertilization is likely the cause of nitrate pollution in residential wells. Now five dairies have signed consent orders with the EPA to address the issue. Nitrate is an “acute contaminant,” which can go into effect immediately after exposure. More than 10 milligrams of nitrate in drinking water can cause birth defects and health problems. Well water tested from residential wells located in the path that nitrate-polluted groundwater flows shows that 61 percent of them exceeded the maximum standard for nitrates. — T.W.

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By Taylor Winkel

Taylor Winkel is a Journalism and Political Science student at the University of Washington. Follow her on Twitter: @twinkelnews. She can be emailed at Taylor.Winkel@crosscut.com.