Series: Drinking Water Quality

M.K DeSantis, Pegasus Technical Services for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Series: Drinking Water Quality

Drinking water quality varies across in Wisconsin. In communities with public utilities, drinking water is subject to disparate levels of treatment depending on local needs and budget concerns. Nearly one million households get their water from private wells, which depend on property owners for monitoring and treatment. Across the state, many natural processes and human activities can introduce pathogens and chemical contaminants into water supplies. Wherever their drinking water comes from, Wisconsinites can use various resources to better understand and improve its quality.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

Agricultural Practices Can Affect Levels Of Nitrate In Groundwater

Scott Gordon

WisContext

U.S. farmers embraced nitrogen-based fertilizer at a dramatic pace during the 1960s and '70s. Since then, its use has played a key role in boosting agricultural productivity. But as a consequence, nitrogen's more soluble form, nitrate, has become a common drinking water contaminant, in Wisconsin and around the country.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

Do You Use Well Water? Learn About Radon, Arsenic, Pesticides And More

Kevin Masarik

UW-Extension

As the groundwater education specialist for the Center for Watershed Science and Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Kevin Masarik gets a lot of questions from Wisconsin residents about their well water and how to go about testing its safety. Here are answers to several specific questions.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

DNR's Lead Pipe Program Covers Fraction Of Likely Cost

Scott Gordon

WisContext

A new program to help Wisconsin communities replace lead drinking water pipes will likely take out only a small fraction of those estimated to exist around the state.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

DNR Lead Pipe Fund Doesn't Always Align With Greatest Needs

Scott Gordon

WisContext

A new Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources program might have difficulty targeting the Wisconsin communities experiencing the greatest lead contamination in terms of scale and intensity.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

Series: Waukesha And Lake Michigan Water

Waukesha Water Decision Puts Regional Spotlight On Wisconsin's Environmental Enforcement

Scott Gordon

WisContext

Waukesha scored a victory with the historic June 21, 2016 agreement to let the Milwaukee suburb draw 8.2 million gallons per day of drinking water from Lake Michigan. But following a years-long negotiation, both the state of Wisconsin and city of Waukesha had to make some concessions.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

Series: CAFOs, Manure And Water

Why Kewaunee County Is A Flashpoint For CAFOs And Water Quality

Scott Gordon

WisContext

Kewaunee County, home to about 20,000 people on the lower half of the Door Peninsula, is hardly the only place in Wisconsin that's seen a rapid growth of concentrated animal feeding operations, but it has become central to a debate over how to regulate manure irrigation.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

What Karst Is, And How It Affects Wisconsin's Drinking Water

Scott Gordon

WisContext

Any serious look at Wisconsin's geology and groundwater will at some point likely encounter the term "karst." The concept is hardly specific to Wisconsin, but it's helpful for understanding the land and drinking water across much of the state.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

Series: Extreme Precipitation And Wisconsin's Climate

How Heavy Flooding Can Damage Drinking Water Quality

Scott Gordon

WisContext

Heavy rainstorms in northwestern Wisconsin on Monday, July 11, led to flooding throughout the region. The flooding also poses a less visible, but still significant threat: It can result in more contaminants in the area's drinking water supplies.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

The Wisconsin DNR's 2015 Water Utilities Report, In Context

Scott Gordon

WisContext

On July 29, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released its 2015 report on the state's public drinking water utilities, detailing information about costs, contaminants and infrastructure status.

Series: Drinking Water Quality

Where Coliforms Were Found In Wisconsin Utility Water In 2015

Scott Gordon

WisContext

As the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources noted in its 2015 annual report about municipal water utilities, coliform bacteria are found in systems across the state. In fact, water samples testing positive for these bacteria outnumbered those showing higher-than-permitted levels of other contaminants.