Wells in Some Southern Wisconsin Counties Contaminated with Fecal Matter
Thursday, December 5th, 2019 -- 10:29 AM
(AP) -A new sampling of a batch of wells in southwestern Wisconsin found a majority contaminated with fecal matter from people, pigs and cows, according to results released Tuesday as part of a contentious regional pollution study.Scientists sampled 34 private wells in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties in mid-August and found 25 wells, or 73%, were contaminated with fecal matter from humans and livestock, including cattle and swine, according to a news release from county officials and researchers. Nineteen wells, or 56%, were contaminated with pathogens including salmonella and cryptosporidium. Salmonella is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and is shed through feces. Cryptosporidium is a parasite that can cause diarrheal disease. It’s also transmitted through feces.
The tests are part of a broader study of well contamination across the three counties conducted by county conservation officials, the University of Wisconsin-Extension and federal researchers. The group sampled 840 wells in the counties in November 2018 and April 2019 and found evidence of bacterial or nitrate pollution in 42% of the wells tested in November and 27% of the wells tested in April. Nitrate originates from manure and fertilizer.
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