State’s public water quality ensures it’s good to drink

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently published its 2023 Annual Drinking Water Report, showing that more than 99 percent of the public water systems in Wisconsin, met all water quality standards for contaminants.

The report summarizes compliance with the drinking water requirements and highlights statewide efforts, to help public water systems provide a safe and sustainable supply of drinking water.

This impressive scorecard is possible because of the joint efforts between public water system owners and operators, the DNR and many partners. Additional funding also helped significantly; Wisconsin’s share of federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding, was more than $155 million in 2023, to ensure safe drinking water, and Gov. Tony Evers invested $10 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, to expand on the state’s Well Compensation Grant Program. Most of the extra funding went toward lead service line replacement and addressing emerging contaminants, like manganese, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). By the end of 2023, more than 1,860 Wisconsin public water systems obtained PFAS monitoring test results, according to the DNR’s established drinking water standard for two PFAS chemicals.

“We encountered new challenges in 2023, but also had some amazing accomplishments,” said Steve Elmore, DNR Drinking Water and Groundwater Program director. “We had a drought in parts of the state, that impacted water quantity, but we provided information and guidance to help those affected areas.”

To learn more about these accomplishments, visit dnr.wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-1054, to request a printed copy of the report.