One of my greatest experiences in the legislature has been working with my colleagues on the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality. For much of 2019 we traveled the state, North to South, East to West, and heard compelling testimony from homeowners, professionals, growers and producers and more. As a result of these discussions throughout the state, the Water Quality Task Force was able to craft a large bi-partisan package of bills that will improve the lives of Wisconsinites.

There are 13 bills that will be introduced. Each of these bills will receive a public hearing as soon as possible and we will all work together to get them from bills into laws that provide solutions for residents of the entire state of Wisconsin.

Our progress is encouraging, but this isn’t a silver bullet. We know the problems have been created over many years and solutions will take time to show results. We have led the way on working together towards results in Central Wisconsin and these bills continue that effort.

I want to highlight several of the components of the package and their importance to us locally. Please see below, and for a deeper analysis, the task force report and recommendations are available at waterqualitywi.com.

University of Wisconsin Stevens Point/Nitrate Testing

We know that education is a key component in finding the extent of contamination issues. Many homeowners still likely don’t know if their well is contaminated. We want to make sure we create a grant program for county well studies, and educate the public by expanding outreach to private well owners and updating the UWSP Watershed Sciences online mapping database. Additional research on emerging markets for phosphorus and other nutrients is essential as well. UWSP will lead the efforts on increased research, testing and education. 

County Conservation Positions

These offices are the backbone of all local efforts to combat water quality issues. This package of bills funds a third position for EVERY county in the state to expand the ability of county conservation staff to coordinate and work with farmers, landowners and conservation groups to determine local solutions to problems.

Producer-led watershed Improvements and Funding

Producer-led groups that are conducting producer-led projects will be eligible to receive lake protection grants, which are provided by the DNR for projects that improve surface water quality. This will also allow these project to expand beyond a single watershed if necessary. Flexibility and funding is important in assisting the creation of the 14 Mile Creek Group, who currently in discussions to improve water quality from the Plainfield sands through Lakes Arrowhead, Camelot and Sherwood.

Well Compensation Program

This bill combines two assembly bills (AB21 and AB147) as a compromise bill, which will include treatment options for homeowners with nitrate levels from 10-25ppm.

In Wisconsin we have over 700,000 private wells that families depend on for clean drinking water. Unfortunately, many can’t count on their well. Our current state well compensation program is limited to homeowners with livestock. This bill changes that. We set aside $1M to help homeowners with limited financial means to receive assistance to treat their water or replace their failing wells.

Private On-Site Wastewater Treatment Systems

There are over 750,000 private on site wastewater treatment systems (septic) in Wisconsin. As these systems age and become more concentrated they become a contributor to the overall groundwater problems in many parts of the state. Our area especially affected by this, particularly in the lakes area of Adams and Waushara counties. This bill assists homeowners in need with grants to replace failing systems. We also are adding positions to review proposed new installation permits to make replacement easier.

Municipal Flood Control

It was important to me that this package of legislation makes steps forward in addressing the ongoing flooding challenges we face in our area. The Municipal Flood Control Grant Program has many practices that would not only help local governments deal with high water, but also have a positive impact on water quality. This bill removes the requirement that these practices are considered in “priority order” and instead, requires scoring based on cost-effectiveness and the impact on tax base. Areas like Big Flats, Rome, Monroe, Preston, Saratoga and others will benefit from this change.

Bio-manipulation

Bio-manipulation is an emerging area of scientific research and practice. This bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to provide grants to local water improvement groups to conduct projects using bio-manipulation to improve the water quality of lakes and impoundments. The bill seeks to reduce nutrient levels in our surface waters through focused water quality science and healthy manipulation of the lake’s ecosystem. This competitive grant proposal is directed at lakes and impoundments that are identified on the impaired waters list.

Nitrate Optimization

This bill creates a nitrate optimization pilot grant program administered by Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to facilitate research and incentivize innovative nitrate reduction strategies. It requires the collaboration of DATCP, University of Wisconsin, and farmers to develop projects that reduce nitrogen loading. Funds allocated under this program will go directly to producers throughout Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin will study the results and cost-effectiveness of these practices and provide a report to the legislature detailing recommendations on how to improve current programs and the feasibility of a permanent nitrogen optimization program.

Freshwater Collaborative

Careers in freshwater science are expected to grow at a rapid pace. This investment seeks to develop the University of Wisconsin’s current water quality programs into a collaborative effort to attract undergraduate talent and expand opportunities for water quality research.

Water is the fastest growing sector of the world’s economy and is anticipated to be an $800 billion industry by 2035. This is fueling a demand for hydrologists, ecologists, engineers, aquatic toxicologists, business leaders, and policy analysts who are able to understand and anticipate water issues.

A University of Wisconsin Milwaukee analysis suggests that Wisconsin’s water workforce exceeds 60,000 people (about 2% of the state’s total employment).

This 13 bill package represents a major investment in the state of Wisconsin from all sides of the discussion. We depend on research and science to determine good public policy on water issues. Outreach is crucial to determining the extent of an issue. Education is needed to provide an avenue to create the researchers of the future. Boots on the ground help determine a course of corrective action. Creating new markets for innovative practices leads to more collaboration.  I am proud of the progress that we have made, and if we continue to work together we can and will tackle these challenges. I appreciate all of your input and help in laying out our needs leading to success in finding potential solutions.

Contacting My Office

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