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County discusses water-study testing results, sample anonymity and nitrates concern
Summary
Staff reviewed previous well-testing maps, discussed pending regional grant-funded testing and the limits of sample anonymity; the committee raised concerns about nitrates, E. coli detection and the sample size.
Committee members reviewed prior well-testing maps (October 2020 and October 2021) and heard an update on pending grant-funded water testing from a regional group. County staff said one regional grant application has been approved for logistics and that a Driftless-area testing project (DAWS) would provide single-day sampling results; that project may not include total coliform/E. coli testing unless organizers add it.
County staff noted that the larger mapping efforts anonymize results to protect individual homeowners; staff receive individual E. coli notifications when tests show contamination and may advise homeowners on next steps, but the county does not post homeowner-identifying results publicly. “If the homeowner did nothing, we wouldn't know that,” a staff member said regarding retests after contamination notices.
Committee members discussed nitrate levels and the geology of sand areas that allow rapid groundwater transport, and staff said higher nitrates are a known concern in pockets of the county. Staff and committee members discussed voluntary nutrient-management planning for farms as a mitigation path; staff said the county could consider additional testing (goal: hundreds of wells) if regional grant funding becomes available.
Why it matters: groundwater quality affects drinking-water safety. Detecting E. coli or high nitrates prompts homeowner advice and potential remediation; anonymized mapping supports regional trend analysis while protecting individual privacy.
Staff said the DAWS-style one-day sampling requires tight logistics because E. coli tests must reach the lab within hours. The committee asked staff to follow up on whether the regional grant testing could include coliform testing and to report results when available.
