Well‑testing program: 5% of private wells in Vernon County exceed nitrate health standard, study finds

A presentation to the Vernon County Board summarized results from a recent private‑well testing program that covered 163 residents. The study’s presenter for the Driftless Area Water Study said about 5% of samples were at or above the nitrate health standard of 10 parts per million, with an average nitrate concentration near 3 mg/L across the tested wells. The presenter added that “nitrate is a common groundwater contaminant in Wisconsin, primarily from agriculture, in some cases septic systems and lawn fertilizer.”