Replacing all Milwaukee lead service lines would take 70 years at current pace. Meanwhile, Wisconsin home lead investigations rarely test water amid focus on paint
Category: Failure at the Faucet
Failure at the Faucet is a series exploring risks to drinking water across Wisconsin.
Posted inEnvironment, Failure at the Faucet, Health & Welfare
Spurred by Flint crisis, Eau Claire aims to eliminate lead pipelines
City finds success in canvassing neighborhoods. Residents typically pay nothing under the grant-funded program.
Posted inEnvironment, Failure at the Faucet, Health & Welfare
Worried about lead poisoning in Wisconsin? Here’s what you should know.
Test your child and yourself — especially if you are pregnant. No level of lead is considered safe. Young children are particularly vulnerable to lead and may face higher levels of exposure because they often put their hands or other objects in their mouths, including paint chips. But drinking water can make up 20% of a […]
Posted inEnvironment, Failure at the Faucet, Health & Welfare
Cow manure predicted to cause most sickness from contaminated wells in Kewaunee County
A new study predicts the incidence of gastrointestinal illness in private drinking wells, identifying manure as the main cause of contamination.
Posted inEnvironment, Failure at the Faucet
Wisconsin Supreme Court weighs state power to protect water from farm pollutants
The outcome of a nearly decade-long dispute in Kewaunee County could shape regulatory power across state government.
Posted inEnvironment, Failure at the Faucet
As rains intensify, sewage surges into Wisconsin waters
Climate change is bringing heavier rains, making it tougher to keep untreated sewage and stormwater out of the Great Lakes.
Posted inFailure at the Faucet, Health & Welfare
Most nitrate, coliform in Kewaunee County wells tied to animal waste
The latest findings from a study of drinking water wells and their surroundings finds manure from cows that is stored or spread on farm fields poses the highest risk for certain contaminants.
Posted inFailure at the Faucet
Fecal microbes found in 60 percent of sampled wells, raising concerns about dairy manure, septic waste
Tests show waste from Kewaunee County’s 97,000 head of cattle contaminates majority of wells, especially after rainfall or snowmelt; human waste also a factor.
Posted inFailure at the Faucet, News about Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism wins top national award for drinking water project
The Society of Professional Journalists names ‘Failure at the Faucet’ the top investigative story among small independent news sites for 2016.
Posted inFailure at the Faucet, Government, Health & Welfare
Wisconsin misses chances to cut risk of lead exposure in drinking water
Funding for childhood lead poisoning prevention is down in Wisconsin, and proposals to better protect children from lead in drinking water have stalled in the Legislature.
Posted inFailure at the Faucet, Government, Health & Welfare
Milwaukee takes action to reduce lead in water; critics say it is not enough
The city of Milwaukee, with more than 70,000 lead service lines, has taken several steps in the past year to lower residents’ exposure to lead in drinking water, but activists say the city has not done enough.
Posted inEducation, Failure at the Faucet, Government, Health & Welfare
‘Regulatory vacuum’ exposes Wisconsin children to lead in drinking water at schools, day care centers
Gaps in federal drinking water standards enforced by the state leave numerous school and day care sites untested for lead in drinking water; numerous lead service lines remain.