Groundwater section
Approximately two thirds of Wisconsin residents get their water supply from groundwater. Adequate supplies of uncontaminated groundwater are crucial not only to the health of our families but also for the continued growth of agricultural production and cutting-edge industries in Wisconsin. We are continually confronted with new challenges in securing water of sufficient quality and quantity.
A number of state and federal agencies and several DNR programs address groundwater in various ways. The DNR’s Groundwater Section in the Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater has a central role. The Groundwater Section is specifically responsible for:
- Protecting groundwater quality and quantity through outreach and partnerships with local governments, businesses and interested groups.
- Monitoring, displaying and ensuring access to data on the quantity and quality of groundwater in Wisconsin.
- Maximizing effectiveness and avoiding duplication of state investments through coordination.
- Maintaining expertise in specialized applications of hydrogeology to provide training and technical assistance to other programs, agencies and partners.
Working to protect and preserve the purity and quantity of Wisconsin’s groundwater resources for today and future generations.
Groundwater work includes
- Developing and implementing a program of source water protection and wellhead protection.
- Developing and implementing a program of groundwater education and outreach.
- Developing and managing data capture, retrieval and display systems for groundwater and related surface water information.
- Managing the Groundwater Contaminant Risk-Assessment Process.
- Managing the use of Underground injection wells in Wisconsin.
- Analysis of emerging local or regional groundwater quality concerns and assessment of options for addressing them.
- Operating the Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council.
- Managing joint solicitation for groundwater research and monitoring with the University of Wisconsin.
- Maintaining Groundwater Field Monitoring Methods References:
- Assisting with groundwater aspects of high capacity well permits, Confined Animal Feeding Operation permits, contaminated site clean-up and other agency decisions involving groundwater.