The Be Well Study
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Oregon State University is conducting a study on private water wells throughout the state to learn about (1) the chemical contaminants in well water (2) the health of those who drink well water and (3) how Oregonians are maintaining their wells.
See us in the news, visit these sites:
- Well water study signs up Jackson County homeowners | Jefferson Public Radio
- What’s in your water? Public Health Insider | College of Public Health and Human Sciences | Oregon State University
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If you want to participate, you will receive a free well water test from a certified lab in Oregon that will measure arsenic, nitrate, and lead. You will also be asked to complete several questionnaires which we anticipate will take about 30-60 minutes.
If the test shows higher than legal standards, you will receive either 1) information on the maintenance of wells and treatment of well water, or 2) we will speak with you directly on the maintenance of wells and treatment of well water.
To be eligible for participation, you must: be at least 21 years old, be a homeowner in Oregon who uses a private well as the primary source of drinking water, have lived in your home for at least 12 months and plan to live in the home for at least 12 months from now, and have not previously participated in a well safety program.
By taking part in this opportunity, participants can learn about what’s in their well water and help us learn valuable information about the health of Oregonians drinking well water.
Benefits of participating include:
- A chance to learn more about the health of their well water
- Free water test with a value of $130
- If your well has contaminants, you will be connected to resources to help you decide the best means to treat your well
- An easy and convenient for you to test and learn how to treat your well water
- You are helping to develop a new well water safety program to be used nation wide
- Add to the growing knowledge of contaminants, well water and health
If you have questions about this study, please contact the study investigators: Veronica Irvin, Ph.D., 541-737-1074; or Molly Kile, S.D.
If you have questions about our clinical trials registry number visit here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05395663?term=Molly+Kile&draw=2&rank=1
FAQs
Who is funding this?
The Be Well Study is a 1.45-million-dollar research study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study focuses on improving domestic well water quality for rural Oregonians.
Why should I participate?
Completion of this study will increase knowledge of health promotion actions that reduce exposure to chemical hazards in well water. Your participation will contribute to this base of knowledge and help to make drinking water safer throughout the state of Oregon.
What will you do with my information?
The information you provide during this research study will be kept confidential and research records will be stored securely. Your name and contact information will be kept separate from the data, and destroyed once we are done with data collection and will not be included in any shared findings from this study.
For purposes of analysis, we will remove all personal identifiers from the data, including name, address and contact information. This de-identified data will be shared with external researchers for analysis.
What types of questions will I be asked?
You will be asked questions about your well use and maintenance, attitudes and knowledge of well water treatments, and detailed questions about mental and physical health information for you and your family living in the house. We ask questions about mental and physical health in order to see if health conditions are related to water quality.