DARLINGTON — Initial results of a groundwater contamination study in southwest Wisconsin have prompted action by the state government in the form of financial support and additional scrutiny by legislators on the topic.
Lafayette County Supervisor Bob Laeser supported the tri-county groundwater protection study from the beginning, even as fellow supervisors argued over how to include the annual $15,000 cost for two years. He was happy to see Gov. Tony Evers direct the state Department of Natural Resources to spend an additional $75,000 for the Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater and Geology study.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Laeser, who represents the second ward of Argyle Township and the Village of Argyle, said. “We need to do something in these three counties to address the groundwater concerns.”
Initial results of the study between Lafayette, Iowa and Grant County published in January showed 42 percent of wells within the region were contaminated. Specifically, 62 wells were studied in Lafayette County. Of those, 40 percent of residents had wells with coliform contamination, 27 percent had higher than 10 parts per million of nitrates — the maximum allowed to be safe to drink — and 3 percent tested positively for E. coli.
It’s not just scientific study the state government has decided to invest in. Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican of the 63rd Assembly District, formed a committee to gather testimony from people throughout the state. The Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality was announced Feb. 11.
Rep. Todd Novak of the 51st Assembly District, a Republican who represents Lafayette and Iowa counties, joined 49th Assembly District Rep. Travis Tranel in calling for a task force Jan. 2 after the initial results of the groundwater study were released. Novak was named the chair of the committee. He joins 15 other state Representatives and Senators from Stevens Point to DePere to Mt. Horeb and others on the bipartisan committee.
The task force will travel throughout the state, hosting up to a dozen public hearings to gain feedback from individuals and groups. Novak said he knew the group will “obviously” host a hearing in southwest Wisconsin, but also will be traveling to Kewaunee County, where citizens sought legal help for well contamination they feel occurred because of an influx in large-scale dairy farms. Novak noted that different regions have different concerns.
“There isn’t a one-fix solution for the entire state of Wisconsin,” Novak said. “We’re going in with no preconceived notions.”
Novak said the group will be working closely with officials from the state Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to learn about groundwater and surface water. He noted that Vos has said even if it takes more than one legislative session to create and pass a bill, they will take the time.
“He wants it done right,” Novak said, noting the bipartisan makeup of the task force. “It’s not a party issue, it’s a Wisconsin issue.”
Lafayette County Supervisor Kriss Marion said she has called on both Novak and state Sen. Howard Marklein of the 17th Senate District to better educate the public on groundwater contamination and how to test wells. She said it is a positive move to focus on the science of the issue rather than legislative opinion.
“We just need to understand what’s in our water,” Marion said, adding that she understands there are concerns agriculture will be primarily blamed for the contamination.
However, Marion said the opportunity to address issues with well water contamination can “pull everyone together and create a common goal.” She said in the end, the study will likely support the strengthening of well construction codes throughout the state, not necessarily harsher restrictions on farmers. Her thoughts echoed that of University of Wisconsin-Extension Geologist Ken Bradbury, one of the scientists conducting the study, who has said previously the study will likely lead to examination of well construction.
Marion said she believes the county also has an opportunity to better inform the public.
“I think the biggest thing the county can do right now is educate the importance, for rural landowners, of getting wells tested,” she said.
Laeser said the initial results, which showed 42 percent of 301 wells within the scope of the study were contaminated, were unsurprising and simply reinforced what they had already suspected. Laeser, Marion and fellow Supervisor Steve Spensley are part of a committee set on gathering funds donated for the study in Lafayette County. Marion said the group is within its goal, noting that local groups and a number of individuals have given as a replacement for the denial of county funding for the study. Laeser said they should be certain whether they have met their requirement by the end of February. He noted that he hopes the county can “be on the same page” about the importance of testing water.
“It’s not just a rural problem and it’s not a city problem,” Laeser said. “Everyone drinks water. It affects everyone.”