Help is here for PFAS contaminations in water

A new grant program that opens in 2024, that will help other-than-municipal community and non-profit, nontransient non-community public water systems address PFAS and manganese contamination. The Emerging Contaminants for Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program for these public water systems, will begin accepting applications Jan. 16.

Other-than-municipal community public water systems are not owned by a government or municipality, and serve groups of 25 or more year-round residents. Common examples include mobile home parks, apartment buildings and condominium associations.

Non-transient non-community public water systems are non-residential and regularly serve groups of at least 25 of the same people, over six months of the year. Common examples include schools and daycare centers.

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of human-made chemicals used for decades, in numerous products, including non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant sprays and certain types of firefighting foam.

These contaminants have made their way into the environment in a variety of ways, including spills of PFAScontaining materials, discharges of wastewater that contain PFAS from treatment plants and use of certain types of firefighting foams. PFAS are known to bioaccumulate in fish and wildlife tissues, and accumulate in the human body, posing several risks to human health.

Manganese is a naturally occurring metal that can cause significant health impacts, if consumed in high concentrations.

“This is an exciting opportunity to offer financial help to some of Wisconsin’s smallest public water systems,” said Adam DeWeese, DNR public water supply section manager.

Wisconsin is one of few states regulating two PFAS chemicals in drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, which, when finalized, would regulate six PFAS chemicals and include lower maximum contaminant levels than Wisconsin currently enforces.

The DNR recommends that interested applicants review the Emerging Contaminants for Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant announcement for detailed information on eligibility and how to prepare an application. Questions can be emailed to DNRECSDCGrants@wisconsin.gov.