The Pierce County Land Conservation Committee voted 3-2 Tuesday, June 27 to recommend establishing a temporary six-month moratorium on livestock expansion in Pierce County to the Board of Supervisors. The moratorium could be expanded to 12 months and would apply only to Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), which have 1,000 animal units or more.

The moratorium will make its way to the Pierce County Board for consideration, possibly in August.

The Journal reached out to Pierce County Public Health Director AZ Snyder, Pierce County Land Conservation’s Retta Isaacson and Pierce County Land Conservation Director Rod Webb with questions on water quality, drinking water testing, nitrate contamination and sources of pollution. The hope is this Q&A will help readers better understand where their drinking water comes from, how it can be polluted, and what actions they can take to ensure healthy, clean drinking water.

Where does my drinking water come from?

RI: In Pierce County, whether part of a municipal system or a private well, the drinking water comes from groundwater. The United States Geological Survey defines groundwater as “water that exists underground in saturated zones beneath the land surface… groundwater flows naturally out of rock materials or can be removed by pumping (in useful amounts); the rock materials are called aquifers.”

What are ways that groundwater can become contaminated?

 RI: Groundwater can be contaminated by surface activities like overapplication of nutrients to crop fields, septic system malfunction, leaky underground storage tanks, and chemical spills.

AZ: From the groundwater, nitrate can get into vulnerable wells, including wells that are too shallow, wells in sand aquifers, wells with casings that are not watertight, and wells with damaged or leaking casings or fittings.

How do I tell if my drinking water is safe? Where can I get it tested? How expensive is it?

AZ:  First, find out if you are on a public water system managed by a municipality or if your drinking water is from a private well. If your water is municipal, your water is regulated by the state, and you can access reports by visiting your municipal website or calling your municipality. If you’re on private well water, we recommend you test your well annually or if you suspect there’s an issue or you notice a change in water quality. Well water tests are available through University of Wisconsin’s Division of Extension office in Ellsworth for a fee. If a pregnant person or infant resides in your home, you can pick up a free well water test from Pierce County Public Health.

Where can I see the results of water quality testing in my neighborhood?

 RI: The groundwater quality viewer from the UW-Stevens Point Water & Environmental Analysis Lab is a great tool to see area trends. This viewer includes the data from the county sampling events from 2019-2022 along with any other samples the lab has processed. https://gissrv3.uwsp.edu/webapps/gwc/pri_wells/

What is nitrate, and where does it come from? Specifically, where does it come from in Pierce County?

AZ: Nitrate is a naturally occurring molecule found in plants and animals. Nitrate can enter groundwater from fertilizers we use on our crops and yards, as well as animal and human waste. Because nitrates come from many different sources, it is hard to determine exactly where the nitrate in a particular well came from.

What impact could high levels of nitrate have on my health?

AZ: High levels of nitrate in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome in infants. The baby’s skin turns blue because there is not enough oxygen in their blood. There is evidence that nitrates may also cause congenital abnormalities, thyroid disease, and increase risk for certain kinds of cancer. Some studies have suggested nitrate may be associated with miscarriages, diabetes, acute respiratory tract infections in children, and macular degeneration. However, additional information is needed to determine the relationship between nitrate and these effects.

What can I do if I find out my well has high nitrates? Can the nitrate level ever be reduced to a safe level?

AZ: Drinking water with concentrates of nitrate above 10 mg/l should be addressed. First, if your well tests high in nitrate, use bottled water or water from another source, especially if there are babies in the home. Do not try to boil the water, as boiling can make nitrate more concentrated. Second, have a licensed well contractor inspect your well. The contractor will make recommendations, which may include a reverse osmosis system, fixing a well’s casing or cover, or digging a deeper well. The DNR has a temporary program for families with annual incomes less than $100,000 to help fix contaminated wells or construct new wells: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/aid/WellCompensation.html

What are some ways we can collectively decrease nitrate contamination in Pierce County? What is the county/DNR doing CURRENTLY to protect residents from excessive levels of nitrates?

 RI: Responsible nutrient management is key. Ensuring that nitrate application follows the 4-Rs of nutrient management (right source, rate, right time, and right place). Under our current ordinances, those who have a permitted manure pit are required to submit a nutrient management plan annually to the Land Conservation Department along with those in certain conservation programs like Farmland Preservation. Land Conservation offers technical and in some cases financial assistance for nutrient management plans. A class on how to write your own plan for free is available online, and an in-person workshop for Pierce County will be available in December.

Pierce County Land Conservation also works with producers to prevent soil loss (erosion) and adopt soil health practices like reducing tillage, increasing cover crop usage, etc. Soil acts as a filter to keep nitrates closer to the surface where it is available for plants and out of groundwater so the more healthy and plentiful the soil the better. Land Conservation also helps reduce direct conduits to groundwater through cost sharing proper well abandonment and documentation of sinkholes so that nutrients are not spread over them.

RW: Many corn producers have begun the practice of side-dressing nitrogen fertilizer when the corn plant is entering the rapid growth stage. This practice reduces the likelihood of the nitrate nitrogen leaching out of the root zone before the corn plant can utilize it. When nitrogen fertilizer is applied before planting, it may be susceptible to leaching for several weeks before the corn plant would begin significant uptake of the nutrient.

What other water quality issues should I be aware of or test for?

AZ: Public Health recommends that private well owners also test their wells for bacteria. About 20% of Pierce County wells test positive for coliform bacteria and about 9% test positive for E. coli. A positive test for coliform or E.coli indicates that your well is vulnerable to contamination with feces or harmful germs that may have found their way into your water system.

With a moratorium on CAFO expansion a possibility in Pierce County, if a task force is formed to study groundwater quality, what might they focus on?

AZ: Public Health looks forward to working with partners and community members to take a holistic look at sustainable use of our land resources in a way that promotes and protects human health. The exact scope of work would be at the discretion of elected officials.

RW: It is my hope that a groundwater advisory committee will evaluate all potential issues that may affect groundwater quality. Much attention has been given to potential harm to groundwater from large livestock facilities but a comprehensive review of all sources of groundwater contaminants should be within the scope of the groundwater advisory committee.

What is public health’s role in informing citizens about water quality issues?

 AZ: Public Health has identified providing education about safe drinking water as one of our post-pandemic community health priorities. Public Health has provided families with babies’ well water education and free water testing for many years. We’ve partnered with Land Conversation for the last few years to provide fee-reduced well water testing for residents in different areas of the county each summer, and we used some of our ARPA funds to purchase a machine that allows rapid screening for high nitrates.

What is the difference between point-source and non-point source pollution?

RW: Simply stated point source pollution comes directly from a source like a pipe into a river.  Non-point pollution is all other sources of pollution that does not have a single source. Example is water runoff from a cropland field after a rain event.

An anaerobic digester is being proposed in Ellsworth. Is that a viable way to help protect groundwater quality?

RW: Anaerobic digestion of manure may remove pathogens from raw manure. Removal of a high percentage of pathogens is dependent on the type of digestion process used. Anaerobic digestion of manure does not reduce the amount of nutrients but it can modify the content of the finished product. The liquid effluent from the digester generally is higher in nitrogen content than the raw manure. The solid product from a digester contains most of the phosphorus and potassium that was in the raw manure. Proper handling and application of the finished products from the digester will be necessary to protect the nutrients from affecting the surface and groundwater resources of Pierce County.

People often bring up water quality issues in Kewaunee County when discussing groundwater, CAFOs, etc. What is the main cause of the problems there? Could it happen here?

RI: It is my understanding that the setting of Kewaunee County- relatively thin soils over very fractured bedrock, along with the high water table <50ft to the surface greatly amplified the ability for surface activities to impact local private wells.