Few issues are as fundamental to all people as safe, clean drinking water.
Hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites face the threat of bacteria, chemicals, pesticides, lead, and other contaminants in their drinking water. From rural to urban areas, we are advocating for safe drinking water to protect the health of communities of all backgrounds so they can thrive. Our work includes:
Working to pass administrative rules on lead and PFAS.
Engaging and educating Wisconsin communities about water issues through community events, partnerships, and forums.
Increasing child lead testing to immediately protect children’s health and to better understand and communicate the scale of the problem.
Increasing the media and decision-makers’ understanding of the root causes of pollution.
Localizing water issues and make the problems transparent through things like community water testing, individual well testing, and child lead testing.
Take Action
Ask your legislators to to prioritize the health of private well owners
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What we’re working on right now
Private well owners have a right to know what’s in their water
The problem
Watch Tarion’s story and the impacts of contaminated groundwater.
Private well owners face a multitude of safe drinking water challenges, often without support for identifying contamination and remediating it.
No matter who we are or where we live, all of us want to be able to turn on our tap and know the water coming out of it is safe to drink – for us and the people we love.
Approximately one-third of Wisconsinites rely on groundwater from private wells for their drinking water. Without regular testing, required notifications, or state support, thousands of families remain unaware of the risks in their drinking water. Some of the contaminants include nitrate, PFAS, lead, and arsenic.
The solution and how you can take action
The first step to solving a problem is knowing you have one. Unlike Wisconsinites on municipal water systems who get annual notifications about their water quality, private well owners are rarely notified when local ground or surface water is contaminated. These communities need legislators to fight for their health and ensure they are aware of potential contamination.
Take action now and ask your legislators to co-sponsor the bill that would protect private well owners’ right to know if their water is contaminated. Please add your personal story to send a stronger message.
This bill would require the Department of Natural Resources to notify County Health Departments, County Land and Water Conservation Departments, and interested parties when they detect nearby groundwater contamination. This bipartisan legislation would help ensure that private well owners have the information they need to monitor their wells and take action if they need to protect their families.
The health impacts of polluted water
Clean drinking water is vital to our health, and yet thousands of Wisconsinites don’t have clean water in their homes. We’re working to change that based on the input of community members and partner organizations, because every person, regardless of our background or zip code, deserves safe, clean drinking water.
From contaminated well water to sewage and agricultural runoff to lead poisoning in urban pipes – people of all backgrounds in Wisconsin are affected by unsafe drinking water. Elevated levels of lead show up in the blood of children across the state. Families across Wisconsin can’t use their tap water because factory farms are contaminating their water supply with bacteria from manure.
Test your water
If you rely on a private well for your drinking water, it's important to test your water for toxins like PFAS, nitrate, and lead to protect your health and the health of your family. The Department of Health Services recommends testing for nitrate at least once a year lead at least once every five years.
Testing can give you an idea of the water quality where you live. Unfortunately, the vast majority of homeowners rarely test their drinking water, leaving them unaware of the risks to their health.
For more information on when to test your private well, what to test for, and how to do it, check out this resource from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.