What’s in your water?

By KAREN PARKER | County Line Editor

If anything good has come out of the crisis of lead-tinged drinking water polluting Flint, Mich., it’s that we likely are more aware of the value of clean water and how much we depend on government to protect us from contaminants that could do irreparable harm to our families and possibly even kill us.

Some people might have looked at their glasses of water and felt confidentthat it was safe, while others may wonder if a Flint disaster could happen here.

What the County Line discovered is that despite the Department of Natural Resources’ myriad rules and regulations, pure municipal drinking water is not an exact guarantee and, sadly, those with private wells are playing a sort of Russian roulette.

Much of the problem for small villages such as Norwalk, Ontario, Wilton and Kendall is that record-keeping spanning generations was either nonexistent, spotty, or in some cases, lost.

Village of Wilton Clerk/Treasurer Lori Brueggen discovered that last month as she struggled to complete a Public Service Commission-required report on the installation dates of all water mains in Wilton. Brueggen found herself wading through reams of old minute books and PSC reports that had begun in 1938, long after the village already had a municipal water system.

To add further confusion, the PSC supplied an accounting of the size and length of the mains, much of which does not match the local record.

Furthermore, though most of Wilton’s mains are either iron or plastic, a PSC report indicates that 1,694 feet of main is lead pipe, the very thing that poisoned Flint’s water supply. Brueggen said there is no way of knowing where that pipe may be or if it even exists anymore. Wilton’s first reservoir went online in 1909, and that pipe might very well have been changed at one time.

Lateral lines to homes also are a mystery, as they have never been documented. Until there is a problem and they are dug up, no one really knows what sort of pipe was used, particularly in older homes. Lead pipe usage was discontinued in the 1940s and lead solder in the 1980s.

Kendall Village Board President Richard Martin said he thought that because local villages use well water, not river water, as was done in Flint, they may experience fewer problems. Unlike the Flint River water, which contains a high level of salt, local water is hard and tends not to corrode lead.

Ontario Public Works Director Paul Gibson said the village’s older lines are either iron duct tile or transite, a noncorrosive substance laced with asbestos that was popular 50 years ago. Although asbestos is a carcinogenic, its main threat is to the workers replacing it if they do not handle it properly.

Village of Norwalk Clerk Sharon Karis said the village had done so many street projects and replaced so many mains that most were now PVC plastic pipe, though a few clay tile mains still are in place.

All villages are required to test monthly for coliform, nitrates and bacteria. All four villages have had clean bills of health for years, and test results are available at the village offices or online. Tests for heavy metals are done every two years, and the results also are available to the public, either at village offices or online. The test sites used are divided between commercial and private residences, and the same sites are used each time. In Ontario, about five sites are used. Bit some water quality experts argue that this is not enough to get a true picture of the water supply.

Whatever failings there may be with municipal water testing, it really is the wild, wild West when it comes to rural water. Wisconsin has an estimated 900,000 private wells. A water test is required only when a new well is drilled and when pumps are replaced. A buyer or seller can demand a test as part of a property transfer, but it is not required by the state.

Kevin Masarik, groundwater education specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, said he didn’t think the state would ever take control over private well water as it had with septic fields.

“Wisconsin’s policy is typical of most states,” he said.

That means homeowners need to be proactive in protecting their own water supply. Unfortunately, only about 15 percent of Wisconsin’s private wells are tested each year. Masarik said a best practice would be to test annually, especially for nitrates, which can be a significant problem in areas of intense farming.

A basic test includes bacteria, nitrates and more recently arsenic. It has been found that in some areas of the state where the water table has been lowered due to intense irrigation or other factors, a chemical reaction causes arsenic to form.

Tests also are available for lead, boron, copper, mercury and other metals.

Many parts of the state have specific problems due to agriculture practices or industrial waste. For example, groundwater in Door County can be laced with copper because of the use of copper sulfate on cherry trees.

Liesa Lehmann, water section chief, Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater at the Wisconsin DNR, noted that the agency had no data on how many private wells in the state might have lead supply lines or lead in the home. Finding the age of the home, she said, could help determine if lead piping had been used, but short of digging up the pipes, there was no way of knowing for certain. Current staffing levels at the DNR would make it nearly impossible to monitor the massive number of private wells in the state.

Basic tests are very cheap, from $20 to $45, but those for heavy metals can add another $50 to the bill. Masarik pointed out that one test could establish a baseline that the homeowner could use later; for example, such as when neighboring farming practices change, causing a spike in nitrates.

Use a certified laboratory to test your drinking water for possible contaminants. Labs that test for bacteria in water are certified by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and can be found online at dnr.wi.gov/org/water/dwg/PrivateLabs.pdf. Labs that test for contaminants such as nitrate, pesticides, metals, and VOCs are certified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and can be found online at dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/lc/PW/Lablists.htm.

Data and reports on municipal drinking water can be found at prodoasext.dnr.wi.gov/inter1/pws2$.startup.

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