New PFAS And Manganese Grant Program For Small Public Water Systems To Open In January 2024
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the opening of a new grant program in 2024 that will help Other-Than-Municipal Community and non-profit, Non-Transient Non-Community public water systems address PFAS and manganese contamination. The Emerging Contaminants for Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program for these public water systems will begin accepting applications on Jan. 16, 2024.
Non-Transient Non-Community public water systems are non-residential and regularly serve groups of at least 25 of the same people over six months of the year. Common examples include schools and daycare centers.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of human-made chemicals used for decades in numerous products, including non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant sprays and certain types of firefighting foam. These contaminants have made their way into the environment in a variety of ways, including spills of PFAS-containing materials, discharges of wastewater that contain PFAS from treatment plants and use of certain types of firefighting foams. PFAS are known to bioaccumulate in fish and wildlife tissues and accumulate in the human body, posing several risks to human health.
Manganese is a naturally occurring metal that can cause significant health impacts if consumed in high concentrations.
This grant funding comes at an opportune time, as Other-Than-Municipal Community and non-profit, Non-Transient Non-Community public water systems around Wisconsin are actively finishing initial PFAS testing required under Wis. Admin. Code § NR 809.
Wisconsin is one of few states regulating two PFAS chemicals in drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, which, when finalized, would regulate six PFAS chemicals and include lower maximum contaminant levels than Wisconsin currently enforces.
The new grant program, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will allow Other-Than-Municipal Community and non-profit, Non-Transient Non-Community public water systems to address and decrease their PFAS levels to meet the proposed EPA levels.
The DNR recommends that interested applicants review the Emerging Contaminants for Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant announcement for detailed information on eligibility and how to prepare an application. Questions may be emailed to DNRECSDCGrants@wisconsin.gov.
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