Rural Wisconsinites see farm pollution, PFAS as big threats to clean drinking water, UW survey finds
Rural Wisconsinites greatly value their water but believe that farm pollution and other practices may threaten it, according to a new University of Wisconsin-Madison survey examining perceptions about water issues from residents of the state's less populated areas.
The survey results provide a record of these residents' concerns as stubborn water quality issues like nitrate contamination continue to plague rural areas, and new ones like PFAS arise.
"If we're thinking about how we want to manage or protect groundwater resources in the future, we really need to be thinking about what's happening on the land surface. And if you look at Wisconsin, greater than 90% of the land is, really, rural land," said Michael Cardiff, a professor in the department of geoscience at UW-Madison. "Rural water users are probably most connected to the largest area of land in Wisconsin, and could probably tell us about what sort of concerns they're seeing."
The survey was sent to 1,500 randomly selected households that the U.S. Census designates as rural in 16 Wisconsin counties, including Vilas, Buffalo, Kewaunee and Rock counties, between April and June 2023. Close to 500 respondents replied.
A summary of the results, released late last year, provides top-line results from the entire state. Further assessments of the findings that examine specific regions and demographic trends are forthcoming.
Here are four takeaways from the results.
Rural Wisconsinites care deeply about their water
The vast majority of respondents to the survey found significant value in water for daily life.
Nearly all found it important for drinking and cleaning, but many also ascribed importance to its role in supporting wildlife, hunting and fishing and scenic beauty — "part of the rural ethos," Cardiff said.
Fewer found it important for economic uses, like farming and industry.
Cardiff and his co-authors noted that agencies working to protect water resources can connect with rural residents over a shared value of water for drinking and for supporting wildlife.
More: Wisconsin voters care about clean water. Why aren't lawmakers paying closer attention?
Farm pollution, PFAS among top concerns about rural water quality
About 60% of respondents said that their water is very or extremely safe for what they use it for. But they also perceived risks to water quality in their communities — largely from agricultural practices.
On average, the highest perceived risk came from these practices compared to industrial and residential practices. More than half of respondents said pesticides, herbicides and application of commercial fertilizer posed "quite a bit or great risk" to clean water. About 40% said controlled animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, and manure spreading posed that same risk.
Aside from agricultural practices, respondents also worried more about how PFAS (commonly called "forever chemicals"), landfills, oil spills and road salt could impact water.
More: 'Forever chemicals' detected in 71% of shallow wells surveyed by DNR
Fewer respondents expressed concerns about water quantity, though the top risks they perceived related to how much water is available were agricultural over-pumping and extreme weather, like floods and droughts.
It's good to know that rural Wisconsinites understand how their water can be affected by agriculture, said survey co-author Bret Shaw, a professor of life sciences communication at UW-Madison and an environmental communication specialist for the university's Division of Extension.
But it points to a tricky problem that's gone unsolved for decades: While certain farming practices can pollute drinking water, farming also drives the economies of many rural communities.
Cardiff acknowledged that that tension has made it difficult to deal with agricultural pollution, pointing as an example to an unsuccessful effort by the state Department of Natural Resources to set stricter standards on nitrogen leaching off of farm fields. But he and Shaw said they hope this survey will provide a reference point for agencies and policymakers who make decisions about the safety of drinking water.
"It's one thing to hear from (agricultural) trade associations and farmers, and those are definitely important voices to hear, but (this survey) gives them something to work with so that the rural public is also heard," Shaw said.
Most drink from private well water, but don't test it regularly
Nearly 80% of respondents said the water they use in their home comes from a private well.
Unlike people who get their water from public water systems, which are required to test regularly for contaminants and take action if contaminant levels are too high, the onus is on private well owners to make sure their water is safe to drink. The state health department recommends testing private wells every year for bacteria and nitrate, and once every five years for contaminants like lead and arsenic.
But the study showed only about one in five respondents using a private well had tested their well in the past year. Although 75% reported ever having tested their well's water quality, about half of that group had tested it more than five years ago.
A minority of respondents reported using a treatment or filter system on their water. That combined with a lack of testing could be a source of health risks, the survey noted.
People reported getting little information about water issues
The survey also asked respondents about where they get their information about water issues and whom they trust to deliver it.
The majority of respondents reported hearing only rarely about such issues. They heard from local news and friends and family most often, but trusted those sources less than other sources like scientists and research agencies, who they reported hearing from less frequently.
More: How clean is the upper Mississippi River? 6 takeaways from a new report
"The opportunities are there for us to reach these rural audiences a little bit better," said survey co-author Catherine Christenson, a PhD candidate in UW-Madison's department of geoscience.
Madeline Heim is a Report for America corps reporter who writes about environmental issues in the Mississippi River watershed and across Wisconsin. Contact her at (920) 996-7266 or mheim@gannett.com.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Survey: Rural Wisconsinites worry about farm pollution, PFAS in water
