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Hastings Area Nitrate Study (HANS)
The Hastings Area Nitrate Study (Phase I) was conducted from 1999 through 2003 to determine the extent and sources of nitrate contamination problems in the City of Hastings and the surrounding areas. One quarter of the private wells tested as part of the study exceeded the drinking water standard for nitrate (10 milligrams per liter) and another quarter contained elevated levels of nitrate (3-10 milligrams per liter). Nitrate can come from a variety of sources, but in the Hastings Area Nitrate Study, it was found to be very strongly associated with row crop agriculture. The Vermillion River was found to play a role in transporting contaminated water from its upper reaches to its lower reaches.
At this time (2007), Dakota County is conducting HANS Phase II, working in cooperation with the University of Minnesota Extension Service, Dakota County Soil and Water Conservation District, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, the City of Hastings, and others to prevent future groundwater contamination within the Vermillion River Watershed.
Attachments 
This page was last updated on: 01/07/2007
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