A second article I found related to groundwater quality was printed in the March 2013 Journal of Environmental Health, Volume 75, Number 7. The article, titled “Private Drinking Water Quality in Rural Wisconsin,” discusses a water quality study conducted of approximately 4,000 privately owned wells. Between July 1^st, 2007 and December 31, 2010, Wisconsin health department officials tested these wells for coliform bacteria, nitrate, fluoride, and 13 metals. This study was performed as part of a program that provides assistance to low income families. It is estimated that 940,000 Wisconsin homes obtain their drinking water from privately owned wells. These wells are not regulated under the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act and most of these wells have never been tested for bacteria and other toxic metals. Some homeowners are unaware of the need to conduct these tests; as a result, nearly one million families are at risk of acute and chronic illnesses that can be cause by toxic chemicals and bacteria in the water. The study found the following: (1) 21 percent of the wells had iron that exceeded safe limits; (2) 18 percent of the wells had the coliform bacteria that exceeded safe limits; (3) 10 percent of the water samples from the wells were high in nitrate; and (4) 11 percent of the wells had elevated results for aluminum, arsenic, lead, manganese, or strontium. The authors concluded that because groundwater is vulnerable to a wide variety of contaminants due to human activities such as large-scale groundwater withdrawals, mining activities, industrial pollution, chemical fertilizers, and weed killers, it is critical that private drinking water wells should be monitored regularly. They further state that local water quality specialists and public health experts need to work together to provide guidance to private well owners regarding regular testing. The goal is to protect the health of these families that are at risk due to polluted groundwater wells.

Christenson, Megan, and Gorski, Patrick, and Knobeloch, Lynda. 2013 “Private Drinking Water Quality in Rural Wisconsin.” Journal of Environmental Health Volume 75(7): 16-19.