This year State Sen. Jim Honeyford helped secure funding to allow Yakima County to develop a treatment program for households with people at high public health risk from nitrate contamination.
The County is using the grant, administered through the State Department of Health, to make treatment devices accessible to a limited number of households (300-400) with high nitrate levels in their drinking water.
Yakima County, in partnership with the EPA, state Department Of Health and the Yakima Health District, announced this program on Tuesday, January 4, 2011.
 Details:
For qualifying homeowners who have high nitrate levels in their private wells, financial assistance may be available to install a system to help filter out nitrates. To be considered, an application and certified lab results indicating nitrate levels must be submitted. Other qualifying conditions apply.
 Pilot Project boundaries:
Lower Yakima Valley Basin south of Union Gap to County Line Road.
 When:
Project kicked off January 4, 2011. The Pilot project completion deadline is June 30, 2011. This is only the first step: a related groundwater study to follow.
 To learn more:
Public meetings are scheduled on Wednesday, January 12 in Mabton; Thursday, January 13 in Sunnyside; and Wednesday, January 19 at the Toppenish High School cafeteria. All meetings begin at 6:00 PM
Yakima County Nitrate Hotline (note: line will go “live” approx. December 27):855-740-8429