Private rural wells at higher risk of water pollution

Private wells are not subject to the same scrutiny and regulations as public water supplies, a lesson some families in Wisconsin are learning the hard way. More than 750,000 private wells do not undergo state-ordered tests and can be contaminated with pesticides and sewage, Ron Seely reports for the Wisconsin State Journal.

Although the state Department of Natural Resources has records of private wells being built, testing is left to landowners. In 2008, only 10 percent of private wells were tested, but it cost more than $150,000 to replace structures poisoned by bacteria, nitrates, arsenic and herbicides like atrazine. Ken Bradbury, a hydrogeologist with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, said the lack of awareness surrounding well pollution is appalling. “If you own a rural home, next to your house, your well is the most valuable piece of the property,” Bradbury told Seely. “It’s almost shocking to me how little people know about their wells. And it’s your responsibility. Nobody from the government is going to come out and test it for you.”

Some agricultural areas have a higher risk of water contamination due to increased use of liquid manure, Mark Putra, section chief of private water supply for DNR, told Seely. In a 2007 survey of 49 groundwater samples, 31 were contaminated. For many landowners, water pollution is out of sight, out of mind, but water filters don't block bacteria, and septic systems can contaminate a private supply. Bradbury says people shouldn’t be fooled by the “assumption that the water is good.” (Read more)