More than 30 groups call on State Legislature to take action on safe drinking water for Safe Drinking Water Act 50th anniversary
WISCONSIN – More than 30 groups signed onto a letter calling on the State Legislature to protect public health by taking action on safe drinking water. Fifty years ago on Dec. 16, Republican Pres. Gerald Ford signed the Safe Drinking Water Act into law. Fast forward to today, and it is clear: Wisconsin has not used the Safe Drinking Water Act to fully protect our communities.
Across the state, communities are facing costly medical bills associated with exposure to these contaminants. Proactively tackling these issues with statewide investments would better protect public health. It could also save the state up to $2.04 billion annually by helping families avoid the healthcare expenses associated with these contaminants.
Our legislators must take substantive actions to protect Wisconsin communities by:
- Supporting $953 million for our public water infrastructure;
- Supporting policy changes that protect private well owners; and
- Supporting preventative action.
“My son will live with the consequences of lead poisoning for the rest of his life,” said Shyquetta McElroy, Executive Director for the COLE Lead Safe and Healthy Homes Project. “Our state legislators can and must do more to prevent others from going through the same thing. It’s time to meaningfully invest in our water infrastructure and pass preventative policies that protect our families.”
“PFAS, lead, and nitrate continue to contaminate the drinking water of tens of thousands of people across our state,” said Peter Burress, Government Affairs Director for Wisconsin Conservation Voters. “We are proud to be working in coalition with environmental partners from across the state to ensure that our elected officials prioritize safe drinking water in the upcoming legislative session.”
See the full sign-on letter 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
- Trump Administration moves to weaken standards for toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water - Clean Wisconsin - May 14th, 2025
- Wisconsin Officials Unhappy With EPA Plan To Weaken PFAS Standards - Danielle Kaeding - May 14th, 2025
- Wisconsin Could Lose $55 Million Under Proposed EPA Budget Cuts - Danielle Kaeding - May 7th, 2025
- French Island Makes Progress on PFAS Pollution - Richelle Wilson and Trevor Hook - Mar 24th, 2025
- Who Will Pay for PFAS Pollution? - Bennet Goldstein - Feb 27th, 2025
- Gov. Evers’ biennial state budget prioritizes clean water, clean energy, and public lands for Wisconsin - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 18th, 2025
- Gov. Evers Announces Comprehensive Plan to Ensure Clean Water for Kids and Families in 2025 Year of the Kid - Gov. Tony Evers - Feb 18th, 2025
- GOP Lawmakers Propose School Water Filters to Address PFAS, Lead - Danielle Kaeding - Feb 14th, 2025
- Wisconsin Conservation Voters thank Gov. Evers for prioritizing public health, urges bipartisan prioritization of baseline PFAS groundwater standards - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Feb 5th, 2025
- Evers Announces $145 Million Plan to Address PFAS - Danielle Kaeding - Feb 4th, 2025
Read more about PFAS Problem here