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Portage County is not alone with nitrate contaminated groundwater. In fact, nitrate is the most common chemical contaminant in the world's aquifers and the levels of contamination are increasing 57.
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| Since 1965, nitrate levels in Portage County groundwater have
steadily increased as shown in this graph of nitrate levels in the Little Plover
River (LPR). This trend
is expected to continue 54.
(Remember that groundwater feeds many streams in the County including the Little Plover River.) |
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As this map of Wisconsin counties shows, more than 15% of Portage County private wells have nitrate levels over 10 ppm. Portage County is the black county in the center of the map. |
| Actual water test results reveal that twenty percent (20%) of
private wells tested in Portage County exceed the Drinking Water
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 ppm (parts per million)
for nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) 7. These
water test results were obtained from voluntary samplings. (This
was not a representative study.)
The red dots on the map to the right represent wells that exceed the nitrate level of 10ppm. Levels between 2-10 ppm require monitoring and preventative actions. |
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