Wisconsin Ag Connection - DNR Figures Show Most of Wisconsin's Drinking Water is Good

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DNR Figures Show Most of Wisconsin's Drinking Water is Good
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 12/15/2010

Nearly all of Wisconsin's public water systems met health-based standards this year. That's according to the natural resources department, which released a study on drinking water in the state. The report noted that 97 percent of the 11,422 systems met tough health standards; and did not have a single water sample exceeding health-based standards for regulated contaminants.

"We're very pleased that Wisconsin utilities, DNR staff, and our other partners continue to do an exceptional job of providing safe drinking water for Wisconsin," says Jill Jonas, who leads the Department of Natural Resources drinking water and groundwater program.

The report was titled 'Safe Water on Tap: The Annual Drinking Water Report,' which highlighted other good news for Wisconsin citizens and businesses who rely on public water suppliers for their drinking water and the water they need to run their manufacturing, food processing, agricultural and other operations. The study noted that years of concerted efforts to address radium violations paid off with the number of public water systems in 2009 reporting elevated levels of radium falling to seven, down from 42 in 2006.

Federal stimulus money enabled Wisconsin to provide $83.5 million in financial help to communities to upgrade their drinking water supply systems, more than doubling the number of communities typically assisted in a year, according to a recently released report on public water supplies' performance.

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