One Year In: Gov. Evers Highlights Expanded Well Grant Programs Aimed at Improving Clean Drinking Water Access Statewide
Governor encourages private well owners to apply for available funding to address PFAS
MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today highlighted his Well Compensation and Well Abandonment Grant Programs—programs with enhanced and expanded eligibility beyond the existing state program and funded under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)—to help private well owners receive funding to address per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The programs, created and announced by Gov. Evers in 2022, provide $10 million in financial assistance to well owners to address contamination in their wells by awarding grants for the replacement, reconstruction, treatment, or abandonment of impacted wells. Due to the expanded eligibility under the program created by Gov. Evers, many previously ineligible individuals applied over the past year, including some small Wisconsin businesses with a non-community well, including daycare centers, rural restaurants, and churches, among others.
There is still time to apply for a well compensation grant under expanded eligibility criteria through the governor’s ARPA-funded program. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will accept applications until funding runs out or Dec. 6, 2024, whichever happens sooner. Applicants are encouraged to submit as soon as possible to ensure funding remains available. More information is available at the DNR’s Well Compensation Grant webpage and the Well Abandonment Grant webpage.
To date, DNR has awarded more than 46 percent of the $10 million investment to 370 grantees statewide, including the replacement of 207 contaminated wells, the treatment of 43 contaminated wells, and 120 unused, abandoned wells that were properly filled and sealed.
Additionally, DNR is in the process of creating a new grant program to help public water systems with drinking water contaminated by PFAS or other emerging contaminants. This upcoming program will be designed to help small and disadvantaged public water systems not currently eligible for the ARPA well compensation grants, including privately owned community water systems such as mobile home parks and condominium associations and nonprofit, non-community water systems such as public schools. The grant program is expected to be ready to accept applications in early 2024. Questions about this grant program can be addressed to DNRECSDCGrants@wisconsin.gov.
An online version of this release is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the PFAS Problem
- EPA Issues Test Order for PFAS Used in Manufacturing Under National Testing Strategy - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Oct 9th, 2024
- DNR Asks Hunters Near Town Of Stella To Donate Deer Tissue Samples For PFAS Testing - Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources - Oct 3rd, 2024
- Gov. Evers, DNR Announce Nearly $460,000 In Grants Awarded To Small Public Water Systems With PFAS And Manganese Contamination - Gov. Tony Evers - Sep 24th, 2024
- State Supreme Court Agrees to Take WMC Toxic Pollution Case - Midwest Environmental Advocates - Sep 11th, 2024
- 2017 Law Resulting in Long List of Outdated DNR Water Standards - Danielle Kaeding - Sep 5th, 2024
- Murphy’s Law: Is Milorganite Making People Sick? - Bruce Murphy - Sep 4th, 2024
- Wisconsin Seeks To Match PFAS Rules To Federal Regulations - Danielle Kaeding - Aug 27th, 2024
- PFAS in Foam Far Worse Than Water in Wisconsin’s Rivers, Lakes - Danielle Kaeding - Jul 10th, 2024
- Lawmakers At Odds Over Releasing Health, PFAS Funds - Erik Gunn - Jun 6th, 2024
- Wisconsin Senate Votes to Override Governor’s Vetoes - Baylor Spears - May 15th, 2024
Read more about PFAS Problem here
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