By Blake Jackson
During National Groundwater Awareness Week, Clean Wisconsin and its partners are advocating for $2.5 million in extra state funding for drinking water well testing, prioritizing low-income and high-risk areas.
This initiative coincides with a Superfund Assessment by the DNR and EPA in Stella, a town heavily contaminated with hazardous substances.
"The devastating PFAS contamination we’re seeing in the Town of Stella was only discovered because the DNR conducted groundwater well testing across the state to gain a better understanding of this form of pollution in our rural communities," explains Sara Walling, Clean Wisconsin's Water and Agriculture Program Director.
Initial tests in Stella revealed PFAS levels as high as 11,300 ppt, significantly exceeding the EPA's recently set drinking water limit of 4 ppt. The DNR is proposing the same standard for groundwater and municipal drinking water.
Walling emphasizes the importance of groundwater, stating, "About 66% of Wisconsinites rely on groundwater for their drinking water, and almost half of them live in rural areas with private wells." She highlights the widespread contamination of private wells with nitrates, bacteria, arsenic, pesticides, and PFAS, posing health risks to Wisconsin families. "Everyone deserves safe water, and testing is the first step to provide that."
Clean Wisconsin plans to collaborate with the legislature, particularly the Joint Committee on Finance, to secure the necessary funding for private well testing.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zms
Categories: Wisconsin, General