Frederica Freyberg:

Now we take a look at contaminated well water in southwest Wisconsin. A recent analysis shows over 40% of private wells in the region failed to meet drinking water standards. New rules implemented last summer attempt to curb ground water contamination in other parts of the state. Marisa Wojcik now has more on this.

Marisa Wojcik:

42% of wells contain contaminated drinking water in southwest Wisconsin. This is according to a new survey testing for bacteria and nitrates from private ground water wells. Statewide, 40% of residents rely on private wells for their main source of water. But private wells are not monitored or regulated by government oversight. So it’s up to the owner to maintain the well and test its water. The survey was conducted in southwest Wisconsin because it contains bedrock, similar to that found in the 15 counties on the eastern side of the state. The bedrock is shallow and fractured which means it allows more contaminants from agricultural and residential sources to seep into the ground water. These 15 counties are now subject to new rules from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources regarding how farmers can spread manure. Because more topsoil means more filtration of contaminants, land with less than two feet of topsoil are prohibited from spreading manure. The rules also limit how close to wells manure can be spread. The new standards took effect July 1st and were applied to this region largely in response to increasing reports of water contamination in Kewaunee County. The Wisconsin Dairy Business Association cautions that rules applied to eastern Wisconsin counties shouldn’t be blanketly applied to the entire state. And although there are some similarities between the two regions, variances in things like how the land is used and shaped means that the rules need to be individually tailored to each area. But Clean Wisconsin has called the results of this survey alarming and should be a wakeup call for leaders at all levels of government. Private well owners in Wisconsin can voluntarily test their water but the conclusions in this survey relied on county funds to gather and analyze more comprehensive results. For these and other Fast Facts, visit wpt.org.

Frederica Freyberg:

That was Marisa Wojcik reporting.