AUTHORIZING THE SAUK COUNTY GROUNDWATER QUALITY TREND DATA PROJECT

The quality of groundwater throughout the State of Wisconsin has come under scrutiny.  Other County and community initiated studies have presented findings that are raising many concerns.  These increasing concerns resulted in Governor Evers declaring 2019 the year of “Clean Drinking Water”.  The fears regarding the quality of our groundwater are no different in Sauk County.  However, in order for the County to understand the quality of our groundwater today, and acquire sufficient information that may assist in effectively targeting and making sound management decisions, a groundwater study is necessary. 

Staff from Conservation, Planning, and Zoning, Public Health, and UW-Extension joined in collaboration with the UW Stevens Point to outline a project proposal for a groundwater study in Sauk County.  While Sauk County offers a well water testing program in townships on a rotational basis, these voluntary and random tests provide very little information to allow us to gain an understanding of how groundwater quality has changed in Sauk County over time.  In order to begin this study in 2019, rather than wait for the following budget cycle, the departments came together to request $20,000 in Ho-Chunk funding.  In order to acquire the data necessary to study the trends of groundwater quality in Sauk County, multiple years will be necessary.  A project proposal labeled as Exhibit A outlines the methodology, timeline, type of testing, reporting, community education, deliverables, and budget for the Sauk County Groundwater Quality Trend Data project.