PFAS Shuts Down Wells In Marshfield, Adams
Drinking water contaminated. Waukesha court ruled DNR can’t regulate deadly pollutant.

Marines fighting fires with foam, a product that uses PFAS . Photo by Lance Cpl. Shawn Valosin/U.S. Marine Corps.
Environmental groups are sounding the alarm after drinking water wells in the communities of Marshfield and Adams were shut down last week due to tests by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that found levels of PFAS (per- and polyfluroralkyl substances) high enough to be harmful for humans.
Bill Davis, senior staff attorney for the River Alliance of Wisconsin, warned that with the continued risk from PFAS, ongoing battles in the Legislature and the courts over regulating the chemicals pose a continuing threat to communities. In April, a Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge ruled that the DNR cannot regulate PFAS and other emerging toxic substances under Wisconsin’s Spills Law following a lawsuit brought by the state’s largest business lobby.
PFAS and related man-made compounds were used throughout private industry for decades. Prized as the secret ingredient in non-stick pans, wrappers, flame retardant clothing, firefighting foam and many other products, the compounds found their way all over the world. They also are bio-resistant, meaning they don’t break down in the environment, nor in our own bodies.
PFAS can contaminate water, soil, and other mediums, and have been linked to chronic ailments including cancers, birth defects, thyroid disorders, and other diseases. Many contamination sites can be linked to historical use by various companies, who then are held responsible for testing contaminated water supplies and cleaning up their properties.
“We need to take a precautionary approach to how we manufacture and use chemicals, which we haven’t done with PFAS,” said Davis. “It’s currently legal to invent a new substance and use it without determining whether it will cause human health or environmental problems. We will continue to ‘discover’ more and more problematic substances like PFAS — just as we have done with PCBs, DDT and lead — until those who create a new chemical must prove it’s safe before it’s used.”
PFAS shuts down wells in the communities of Adams, Marshfield was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.
More about the PFAS Problem
- Wisconsin Lawmakers, DNR Clash Over PFAS Protections in GOP Bills - Danielle Kaeding - Oct 8th, 2025
- Wisconsin Moves to Bring PFAS Limits In Line with Contested Federal Standards - Danielle Kaeding - Oct 3rd, 2025
- DNR Names Companies Responsible for PFAS Contamination In Northern Wisconsin Community - Danielle Kaeding - Sep 30th, 2025
- Green Bay Area Ducks Contaminated with ‘Forever Chemicals’ - Isiah Holmes - Sep 8th, 2025
- DNR and DHS Issue New PFAS-based Consumption Advisory for Ducks Harvested on Green Bay - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Sep 4th, 2025
- DNR and DHS Issue New PFAS-based Consumption Advisories for Fish and Deer Near town of Stella and Surrounding Waterbodies in Oneida County - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Sep 4th, 2025
- Groundwater Coordinating Council Releases 2025 Report to the Legislature - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Sep 2nd, 2025
- Environmental Groups, Community Advocates Push for PFAS Deal - Henry Redman - Jul 14th, 2025
- Environmental Advocates Hail Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision in Evers v Marklein - Midwest Environmental Advocates - Jul 8th, 2025
- Wisconsin Supreme Court Backs State Regulators of PFAS Pollution - Danielle Kaeding and Rich Kremer - Jun 24th, 2025
Read more about PFAS Problem here