Rep. Warren Petryk

I am fortunate to represent one of Wisconsin's most beautiful Assembly Districts. As I travel the district, I am reminded of the need to be stewards of the land that we use and enjoy while traveling along the Great River Road, fishing in the Red Cedar River, or walking in Lowes Creek County Park. This stewardship also includes protecting our area's water supply. And as someone who for decades relied on a private well for drinking water like many other people in western Wisconsin, I value protecting our water while assisting our agricultural community with their water needs as well.

Continuing on progress from the previous legislative budget, I recently signed on as a co-author of bipartisan legislation authored by Rep. Joel Kitchens and Sen. Cowles to assist more rural, low-income homeowners in remediating contaminated wells. This is a critical issue, as I recently received a letter from a constituent who had someone move to the area and discovered that their original water tests were incorrect and that nitrate levels in their well were elevated, forcing them to find a way to pay for an expensive remediation system.

The bill would make the current Well Compensation grant program available to more people while also establishing a system that prioritizes grants to areas with higher nitrate levels. It also allows grants to be used for filtration devices rather than just well replacements if it will protect the occupants' health and welfare. This is significant because high nitrate levels can have serious health consequences, including those for infants and pregnant women.

To also keep our water clean, we must continue to collaborate with the agricultural community, as our farmers are some of the best land managers in the state. First, we must build on the previous session's success which included expanded Cover Crop Rebates to farmers to help them reduce runoff from their fields, as well as $4 million for County Conservation staff, who are on the front lines working with our local farmers and stakeholders to promote best practices.

That is why I signed on as a co-author of another bill that would assist farmers in implementing new land and water conservation strategies to reduce runoff and store more nutrients in the soil. This can be accomplished by first expanding the pool of resources available to the state's Producer-Led Watershed Protection groups by including them in other state grant programs. Furthermore, the bill would make changes to allow farmers near an existing group to join in and enact watershed group policies.

But with these changes, we must continue to develop solutions to provide clean, high-quality water to our residents and farmers. This includes everything from providing clean water to those who rely on private wells to protecting some of our nation’s most beautiful bodies of water. I am excited to see this legislation go before the Assembly and then to the Governor's desk for signature.