Evers sending $10 million in grants to reconstruct, treat water in, more than 1,000 private wells

Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that the state is distributing $10 million to rebuild or abandon contaminated wells throughout Wisconsin, or treat water from such wells.

The money will be used for a grant program to help well owners curtail contamination from impurities such as nitrates and bacteria found in around 1,036 additional wells in Wisconsin, the governor’s office said in a statement. The program will also extend the current Well Compensation Program to provide support to more private well owners. The initiative is based on the state’s Well Compensation Grant Program.

The current Well Compensation Grant Program includes statutory requirements that limit the number of people who are qualified to use the program, the governor’s office said. To ensure more people are able to use the program, the new qualifications include lower nitrate thresholds, lower arsenic thresholds and the allowance of any bacterial contamination that poses risks to human health, not just fecal bacteria from livestock.

“Whether it’s our kids in our schools, families cooking dinner, or our farmers who depend on conservation, every Wisconsinite deserves access to clean, safe water,” Evers said in a statement.

Evers wants additional $2M for well grants in biennial budget

Evers is proposing an additional $2 million for the Well Compensation Grant Program in his 2021-23 biennial budget, the governor’s office said. The Wisconsin State Legislature provided $2 million in one-time funding but didn’t include the Evers administration’s recommended changes to the eligibility requirements, the office added.

Nitrate was the most widespread groundwater contaminant in 2021, according to the Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council. Exposure has been linked to birth defects and infants who drink water contaminated with nitrate are at risk for a possibly fatal condition that results in low oxygen in the blood.

Wisconsin has about 800,000 wells and the governor’s office estimated the wells serve 40 percent of Wisconsin households. Applications for the program are expected in the fall.