Well Testing Cost Share Opportunity

The Gallatin Conservation District has partnered with the Gallatin Local Water Quality District and MSU Extension Water Quality to help promote the Montana Well Educated Program. This program began in 1989 with the mission of making well testing affordable for private well owners, in addition to gathering water quality data that can aid in the decision making process for water resource managers. Since 1989 the Well Educated Program has been offered to thousands of well owners, along with the resources to help interpret the water quality results.

Well testing kits are free and can be picked up at the Gallatin Conservation District office (120 S 5th St, Suite B104, Manhattan, MT) or at the Gallatin Local Water Quality District office (215 W. Mendenhall Street, Suite 300, Bozeman, MT).

In addition to the free well testing kits, the Gallatin Conservation District is now offering a 75/25 Well Testing Cost Share Opportunity. This opportunity reimburses Gallatin County residents upt o 75% of their well testing costs using the Well Educated Program. We do require that all residents seeking cost share assistance to agree to share their testing results with all three information avenues listed on the Well Educated registration form (items I – N). We wish to promote the sharing of these results with water resource managers and water quality databases so that these resources can be used to further understand the water quality of Gallatin County and what we can do to protect our water.

Residents seeking Cost Share assistance for well testing must fill out the Application for Well Testing Cost Share Opportunity form. This form should be turned in by the Thursday prior to each month’s board meeting with a copy of the Well Educated registration form. Board meeting schedules can be found here. Once approved, GCD staff will await receipt of well testing results (proof of payment) before reimbursing the landowner up to 75% of the costs paid.

Please contact Elizabeth Emeline at elizabeth@gallatincd.org or 406-282-4350 for any questions about applying for Cost Share assistance.