AB 1122

This bill requires the Department of Natural Resources to create and

administer a program to provide two types of grants: 1) grants, not to exceed $10,000,

to any county and to any city, village, or town that contains privately owned wells or

water supplies to test and map privately owned wells to assess groundwater quality

and determine the extent of any contamination and to study and map geologic

characteristics and well construction practices to determine any correlation between

water quality, geology, and well construction; and 2) grants, not to exceed $10,000,

to county health departments and county land and water conservation departments

to provide education and outreach related to well testing. Applicants may apply for

a grant individually or jointly with other applicants and may apply for both types of

grants simultaneously. Under the bill, the recipient of a testing and mapping grant

must share the results of its testing with DNR and the University of

Wisconsin–Stevens Point Center for Watershed Science and Education but may not

include any personally identifiable information, including specific property

locations, with the submitted results.

The bill also requires cities, villages, and towns that contain privately owned

wells or water supplies to inform its residents of the importance of regular well

testing.