Everyone in Richland County relies on clean, safe water to support themselves, their families and their jobs, so it's no surprise that many residents of the County are concerned about water pollution. Water pollution comes from many places, including point sources, like factories, power plants or drilling opertations, and nonpoint sources, like chemicals that leach into the ground or run-off and find their way into the water supply. To learn more about water pollution and testing, you can start by reading our brochure, Water Quality in Richland County. You can also visit the Environmental Protection Agency website to learn more about nonpoint soure pollution and how it affects you. This site and the brochure also have some ideas on how to reduce nonpoint source pollution by making small changes in your everyday activities. Even very small changes can have a big impact on the future safety and quality of water in Richland County.

Residents of Richland County also have the opportunity to take part in several events designed to promote the proper disposal of waste that could affect our water supply. If you have old electronics or pesticides, vist the links below for more information before you get rid of them.

• Pesticide Disposal Program - The Montana Department of Agriculture sponsors disposal of unusable pesticides, and no legal action is taken against anyone disposing of cancelled pesticides. This event is held yearly and rotates throughout three regions in the state, the next collection in our region will take place in 2010.
• E-rase you E-waste - This annual event is sponsored by the USDA-ARS in Sidney. For a small fee, participants can safely recycle old computers, monitors and other technology. This site also provides resources for those seeking to recycle electronics during the rest of the year.