Agencies want water issues kept at forefront
‘Forever chemicals’ part of statewide campaign
MADISON – Wisconsin officials are hoping to keep attention on water issues, launching a campaign to raise awareness of lead, nitrates and “forever chemicals.”
The Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Health Services are launching a series of talks regarding clean water, keeping the issue front and center for not only politicians who may see legislation regarding contaminants, but residents who can hold their local community leaders accountable.
DNR Secretary Preston Cole said that people across the state are still battling contaminated water, making it unsafe to turn on the tap and drink or cook.
“It’s troubling that at this stage of the game, while we’re still fighting a pandemic that is seeing a resurgence, that there area communities across the state of Wisconsin that are encumbered by lead laterals, PFAS in the water, as well as nitrates,” he said.
A big part of addressing contaminated water throughout the state will be funding for infrastructure — such as money to replace lead laterals still in use, as well as money to test private wells for nitrates and PFAS.
Money for addressing PFAS was removed from the biennial budget this year by lawmakers, but agency leaders hope to gain some funding from the infrastructure bill proposed at the federal level that could include money for the replacement of lead pipes and testing for PFAS and nitrates.
Any sort of movement on projects that have been proposed over the years to address these contaminants requires money.
“It depends on money,” Cole said. The talks will kick off in August and will include three panels:
Sowing the seeds for safe water, which will address how farmers and agriculture business leaders are using science to protect water.
Threats on tap: Marginalized communities at risk, which will address how water systems serving marginalized areas are more likely to be unsafe and the efforts to secure safe water for everyone.
Protecting people: Safe drinking water for all, which will address how the state is working to protect health and how individuals can get involved.
No dates have yet been set for the presentations. It is not clear if the events will be held in person or virtually.
The agencies hope that by getting water issues out in front of the public, legislators will also take notice, and move to protect water in the state.
“There is a great deal of work to do to make sure that across Wisconsin, the beautiful and abundant water resources that we do have are safe,” DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake
said. “That they’re safe for drinking, they’re safe for recreation, they’re safe for agriculture.”
“There is a great deal of work to do to make sure that across Wisconsin, the beautiful and abundant water resources that we do have are safe.”
Karen Timberlake Department of Health Services secretary-designee
Series will highlight nitrates, PFAS, lead
One of the most well-known water contaminants, lead, can lead to lifelong consequences, especially for young children, and even at low doses. The DHS reported in 2018 that 9.2% of children age 5 or younger in Milwaukee have blood lead levels above 5 mcg/dL, which is when parents and other officials are alerted to take action.
Current estimates put the cost of replacing all lead service lines in Milwaukee alone at nearly $800 million. Since 2017, the city has replaced more than 3,800 lines out of the 70,000 that exist.
Aside from lead lateral pipes, which carry water to homes, the contaminant is often found in paint, too. Homes built before 1986 typically have lead paint, unless it has already been removed.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a relatively new family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing, carpet, nonstick cookware, food packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining in the body over time.
PFAS have been linked to kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems and altered hormone regulation and thyroid hormones.
Wisconsin has attempted to regulate PFAS, but standards have not yet been approved by the state Legislature, and have often faced pushback from both legislators and industry leaders.
There are dozens of communities impacted by the chemicals, including Madison, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Peshtigo and Marinette.
The DNR is now working to develop standards for groundwater, drinking water and surface water for PFOA and PFOS — two of the most well-known and well-researched of the family of chemicals — as well as several other compounds. That process is expected to stretch on for at least another year.
Nitrate is the state’s most widespread contaminant of groundwater. About 10%, or 80,000, of the state’s private wells fail to meet the state drinking water standard of 10 parts per million.
Studies suggest that drinking water with elevated levels of nitrate over a sustained period can cause birth defects, thyroid problems and colon cancer. Pregnant women and babies are the most vulnerable. Nitrate has been associated with a condition called blue baby syndrome, which reduces the amount of oxygen in a baby’s blood.
Nitrates can be found in manure, fertilizer and septic systems, and can leach through soil easily and into water.
‘We don’t just talk, we solve’
Addressing these contaminants now will continue a history of moves to protect and preserve Wisconsin’s water resources.
This isn’t the first time state agencies have pushed for regulations to keep people, wildlife and the environment safe when it comes to water, DNR deputy secretary Todd Ambs said. Nearly 100 years ago, Aldo Leopold began work to deal with soil losses in the Driftless Area and the Kuhn Valley, the first work focused on preserving natural resources for the future.
“That was really cutting-edge natural resource management at the time,” he said.
Then former Gov. Gaylord Nelson began his work to preserve the environment, eventually establishing an international day of awareness, which we now know as “Earth Day.”
Eventually, Wisconsin became the first state to implement comprehensive treatment of waste water, then moved to develop legislation on acid rain and limits on phosphorous going into water ways.
“In Wisconsin, we don’t just talk about environmental problems, we solve them,” Ambs said. “The solutions are there. We know what we need to do to address these challenges. All we have to do is have the will to do them.”