% STATE OF WISCONSIN JANINE GESKE,
% THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
% >> YOU'RE WELCOME.
% >> WE NOW TURN TO CENTRAL
% WISCONSIN WHERE THE DISCOVERY OF
% NITRATE IN DRINKING WATER IS
% POSING A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH
% IN A SMALL VILLAGE.
% OUR REPORTER NATHAN DENZIN TAKES
% US TO NELSONVILLE FOR THE STORY.
% >> IT STARTED WHEN I BOUGHT THIS
% HOUSE.
% >> TEAR ONHAS LIVED IN
% NELSONVILLE FOR TEN YEARS.
% WHEN HE FIRST MOVED IN AND
% STARTED TESTING, HIS PRIVATE
% WELL SAW HIGH NITRATE LEVELS.
% >> THEY OFFERED ANOTHER
% SCREENING IN THE VILLAGE OF AM
% HERS AND I DECIDED TO GET A
% BUNCH OF GLASS MASON JARS AND
% TOOK THEM AROUND AND COLLECTED
% SAMPLES FROM ALL MY NEIGHBORS
% AND ABOUT HALF OF THOSE SAMPLES
% CAME BACK ABOVE TEN.
% >> ABOVE TEN MEANS MORE THAN TEN
% PARTS PER MILLION THE LISTED
% UNSAFE LIMIT FOR NITRATES.
% IF YOU'VE EVER DRIVEN BY FARMS
% IN WISCONSIN, CHANCES ARE YOU'VE
% SMELLED MANURE GETTING SPRAYED
% ON CROPS.
% WHAT YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW, THE
% PROCESS OF FERTILIZING FARMLAND
% THE LEAVE A CHEMICAL CALLED
% NITRATE IN THE SOIL.
% THEY CAN HAVE SERIOUS HEALTH
% EFFECTS IF THEY LEECH INTO
% DRINKING WATER.
% NITRATES ARE PRODUCED NATURALLY
% WHEN MANURE IS SPRAYED ON CROPS.
% NITRATE IS NECESSARY FOR MOST
% CASH CROPS LIKE CORN OR ALFALFA
% TO GROW.
% GEORGE KRAFT.
% >> RAINWATER AND SNOW MELT, THEY
% WASH THE NITRATE DOWN THROUGH
% THE SOIL AND IT'S A SLIPPERY
% CHEMICAL THAT DOESN'T WANT TO
% STICK AND MOVES THROUGH THE SOIL
% PROFILE AND GETS TO GROUNDWATER.
% >> NORMALLY WISCONSIN'S
% CLAY-RICH SOIL FILTERS OUT
% NITRATE BEFORE THE CHEMICAL CAN
% REACH PRIVATE WELLS.
% HOWEVER, IN THE CENTRAL SANDS
% RIDGE OWN IN AND AROUND PORTAGE
% COUNTY NITRATES MOVE QUICKLY
% THROUGH SANDY SOIL AND
% INFILTRATE GROUNDWATER.
% THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF
% HEALTH SERVICES SAYS HIGH LEVELS
% OF NITRATE IN DRINKING WATER CAN
% CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS, THYROID
% DISEASE AND INCREASE THE RISK OF
% COLON CANCER.
% ANY LEVEL ABOVE TEN PARTS PER
% MILLION.
% NELSONVILLE HAS BEEN DEALING
% WITH NITRATE PROBLEM SINCE 2018.
% IT IS LIKELY THE PROBLEM HAS
% EXISTED IN THE AREA FOR DECADES.
% >> IN 2018 THE RESIDENTS WHO
% LIVE WITHIN THE VILLAGE OF
% NELSONVILLE STARTED ASKING
% QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT YOUR
% WATER QUALITY AND WHEN WE
% STARTED TRYING TO FIND DATA TO
% ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS, WE
% REALIZED THERE REALLY WASN'T A
% WHOLE LOT.
% >> USING GRANT MONEY, PORTAGE
% COUNTY WATER RESOURCE SPECIALIST
% JEN MCNELLY AND OTHER COUNTY
% SCIENTISTS SAMPLED 60 OF THE
% VILLAGE'S 80 PRIVATE WELLS AND
% FOUND RESULTS THAT ALARMED HER.
% ABOUT HALF OF ALL WELLS IN
% NELSONVILLE SHOW NITRATE LEVELS
% ABOVE THE SAFE LIMIT OF TEN
% PARTS PER MILLION WITH SOME EVEN
% REACHING A DANGEROUS TIPPING
% POINT OF OVER 30 PARTS PER
% MILLION.
% IF NITRATE LEVELS REACH 30 PARTS
% PER MILLION WATER CAN NO LONGER
% BE CLEANED AND MADE SAFE.
% HOWEVER, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO
% TELL IF YOUR WATER IS
% CONTAMINATED UNLESS YOU
% REGULARLY TEST IT.
% >> IT DOESN'T TASTE ANY
% DIFFERENT.
% IT DOESN'T LOOK ANY DIFFERENT.
% THERE IS NO SMELL TO IT.
% IT TASTES GREAT.
% >> MARK BRUEGGEMANN HAS WELL
% WATER ABOVE TEN PARTS PER
% MILLION.
% IT APPROACHES THE 30 PARTS PER
% MILLION LIMIT.
% >> WE CAN'T GO ON WITH THAT
% WATER.
% IT IS NECESSARY FOR ANYTHING YOU
% WANT TO DO.
% >> BREWING MAN LIVES IN A HOUSE
% WITH HIS WIFE DIAGNOSED WITH
% ALZHEIMER'S.
% HE SAID AFTER GETTING RESULTS
% THAT SHOWED HIS WATER AT
% DANGEROUS LEVELS HE CONTACTED
% CULLIGAN TO INSTALL A REVERSE
% OSMOSIS MACHINE, RO MACHINES CAN
% FILTER NITRATE UNDER 30 PARTS
% PER MILLION.
% BRUEGGEMANN SAYS HIS WIFE WOULD
% OFTEN DRINK WATER FROM THE
% FAUCET NOT CONNECTED TO THE RO
% MACHINE.%>> WE NOW KEEP JUGS
OF WATER IN
% THE REFRIGERATOR AND LOIS PRETTY
% MUCH DOESN'T GET HER OWN WATER
% ANYMORE.
% >> RO MACHINES ARE ONE BAND-AID
% SOLUTION.% HIS FAMILY OPTED
TO GET THEIR
% WATER FROM A TOWN IN LYND 40
% MILES AWAY FROM NELSONVILLE.
% >> NOT TOO BAD.
% ALMOST 30 DEGREES.
% SWIMMING WHETHER IN SCONNIE.
% >> I DRIVE WEEKLY AND FILL UP
% ANY SEVEN GALLON JUGS.
% I FILL 4 OR 5 OF THEM.
% >> HE SAYS HE TESTED THIS WATER
% TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAVE
% NITRATE AND NOW MAKES THE
% 90-MINUTE JOURNEY ABOUT ONCE A
% WEEK.
% >> IN THE SUMMER IT'S NOT TOO
% BAD.
% IN THE WINTERTIME IT CAN SUCK.
% IT GETS ALL ICE AND HEAVY.
% >> THE REST OF THE RESIDENTS