Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has announced creation of a task force on water quality following requests from two southwestern Wisconsin lawmakers.
A study of well water in southwest Wisconsin finds high levels of bacterial and chemical contamination – with 42 percent of 301 randomly selected wells tested in Iowa, Grant, and Lafayette counties exceeding federal health standards for bacteria that can come from animal or human waste, or for a toxic fertilizer residue.
A second round of testing involving more wells is planned for the spring, followed by a close evaluation of pathogens in the water to determine if they are the type that probably originated in dairy or swine manure, or from faulty septic systems.
Representatives Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville, and Travis Tranel, R-Cuba City, made the request following the release of the report. Vos said an official announcement on committee membership will be made in the coming weeks.
