High levels of PFAS contamination have been detected in groundwater and other media at thousands of military and civilian sites in the U.S. and its territories including Wisconsin. For virtually all of these sites, the extent and degree of PFAS groundwater contamination within and beyond these properties are unknown.
In Wisconsin, the military (including National Guard) has not tested nearby drinking water wells nor installed off-site monitoring wells in response to the discovery of significant PFAS contamination. In many communities, the Department of Defense has tested its own on-site drinking water wells and called it a day.
PFAS are highly toxic, bioaccumulative, persistent and mobile – readily and quickly migrating with groundwater many miles from source areas. At the Woodbury site in Minnesota, the groundwater contaminant plume has spread to more than 150 square miles.
Private wells within a 2-mile radius of Volk Field: 64
Private wells within a 2-mile radius of Truax ANG: 272
(City of Madison has voluntarily tested municipal wells.)
Private wells within a 2-mile radius of Hideaway Landfill in Middleton: 338
Private wells within a 2-mile radius of General Mitchell: 331
IMPORTANT NOTE: The above four (4) WDNR maps are all of the well construction reports that they have on file. There may be additional wells that exist that they have no report on file either because they were drilled before WDNR required a well construction report or for other reasons. Additionally, there may be some construction reports for wells constructed prior to 1988 that have been filled and sealed.
Interactive map of Wisconsin PFAS Sites.
RESOURCES
Who are my Wisconsin legislators?
Go to https://legis.wisconsin.gov and type in the “Enter your address” box to find your legislators.
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Testing Private Wells for PFAS Should be a Priority Jan 2021
Where can I get my own well water tested for PFAS?
https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Contaminants/Labs.html
Who can help me interpret by well water test results?
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/chemical/pfas.htm
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/lh-depts/counties.htm