A 'complete and utter shock': Wells in an Oneida County town have 'forever chemicals' 160 times over state standards
Laura SchultePrivate wells in a northern Wisconsin town near Rhinelander have tested positive for "forever chemicals" at levels so high the water in them can no longer be safely consumed by residents.
The Department of Natural Resources found PFAS in wells in the Oneida County town of Stella during randomized testing conducted statewide. Further testing revealed many wells contained the chemicals, though the full scope of the contamination is not yet known.
So far, about 30 private wells have been tested, according to the DNR. Several wells have tested positive for PFAS at levels 160 times higher than the state's standards for drinking water at 70 parts per trillion. No regulations currently exist for PFAS in groundwater in Wisconsin.
Stella is about 10 miles east of Rhinelander.
Town of Stella Chairperson David Brunette said that the results were a "complete and utter shock."
"There was no industry out here," he said. "We haven't a clue where this stuff came from."
James Yach, a DNR employee, said the department has requested assistance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in investigating the source of the contamination, and acknowledged that there aren't any typical sources near the town of about 600 people.
"There aren't any of the typical things you'd look for like an industrial source or an airport where they'd use PFAS materials," he said.
Now the town is trying to help affected residents get access to clean water. Brunette said he's waiting for testing results for water at the town hall, and if that is clear, residents will be able to access that water.
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"We would love to open that up and at least let people be able to get water from that source," Brunette said.
The DNR is searching for a funding source for bottled water at this time, but has not yet been able to secure one.
Yach said the department is recommending alternative sources of water, because treatment systems aren't rated to handle levels of contamination this high.
The testing in Stella was a part of a larger sampling program targeting private wells drawing from shallow groundwater, according to DNR documents. The state was divided into 450 areas where samples were collected this summer and fall. Sampling found three shallow wells across the state with high levels of PFAS. One of those high detections was in Stella.
PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and the human body over time.
The chemicals have been linked to types of kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems, altered hormone regulation and altered thyroid hormones as well as high blood pressure. The chemicals enter the human body largely through drinking water.
State and federal regulators have been actively working to address PFAS. Earlier this year, regulations for drinking and surface waters went into effect, and the DNR is actively working to set standards for groundwater. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released updated health advisory limits for PFAS, essentially suggesting that no levels of PFOA or PFOS are safe for humans to consume.
Stella isn't the first community with private wells contaminated by PFAS. In the town of Peshtigo, just outside Marinette, hundreds of wells are affected by legacy contamination stemming from the outdoor testing of firefighting foam at the Tyco Fire Products facility.
The Town of Campbell, outside of La Crosse, also discovered widespread PFAS contamination of private wells, likely stemming from the use of firefighting foam at the La Crosse Regional Airport, which inhabits a portion of the small island in between the Black and Mississippi Rivers.
Both communities have become reliant on bottled water as a source of safe drinking water, in addition to filtration systems inside the homes.