The Know Your Well Program is a citizen science program that teaches high school students how to test the quality of well water by looking for various common contaminants. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) program has been funded by a grant since 2016, but this was Doane’s first year hosting high school students from the surrounding areas of Dewitt, Crete, Wilber, and more. Chris Huber, associate professor of chemistry at Doane, has helped propel Doane’s involvement in the program and in turn the program’s reach into Saline County.
“Dan Snow [from UNL], Dick Ehrman (adjunct faculty at Doane), and I received a grant from the Nebraska Water Center in 2023 to expand the Know Your Well program into Saline County,” Huber said. “Last year we partnered with Dorchester High School to collect well water samples near Dorchester. This event is the first time that we are hosting students to our campus for training. We are hoping that this event will be the pilot for an even larger event next year.”
Nebraska high schools that participate receive educational materials, sampling equipment, testing kits and training to perform domestic well sampling and water testing. In early July 2024, students gathered on Doane's Crete campus to test their water samples.
Students in these rural districts can test their own family’s well, a convenient and personal approach to learning about clean water. Ultimately, the program hopes students learn how to collect water samples and how to test well water samples for various contaminants.
