Newspaper Articles Written by the Portage County Groundwater Citizens Advisory Committee

Groundwater Newspaper Articles
Written by the
Portage County Groundwater Citizens Advisory Committee

Members of PCGCAC wrote and submitted the following articles to the Stevens Point Journal and the Portage County Gazette.

You may read these articles on-line by clicking on the title or download each article as a pdf file.

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Name of Article	Date	Published
You Are a Precious Resource (pdf file)	7/26/2000	Stevens Point Journal
Groundwater--the Hidden Resource (pdf file)	5/2000	submitted, but not published
Is There Nitrate in Your Water? (pdf file)	6/2000	submitted, but not published
Groundwater Goals Ready for Public Review (pdf file)	9/6/2000	Stevens Point Journal
Sustainable Agriculture is Key (pdf file)	11/8/2000	Stevens Point Journal
Groundwater Reaches Florida (pdf file)	10/2000 and 4/2001	submitted, but not published
Economic Impacts of Groundwater Contamination (pdf file)	11/2000	submitted, but not published
Farm and Residential Petroleum Storage Tanks (pdf file)	4/2001	submitted

You are a precious resource By RAY SCHMIDT For the Journal (7-26-00)
Portage County officials are currently revising the county's Groundwater Management Plan and, want to tap county residents for help in the effort. The Portage County Groundwater Citizens Advisory Committee has identified major groundwater problems that past protection programs have not been able to solve. The problems have been grouped into the following categories: nitrates, pesticides, quantity and other quality concerns. The committee is looking at possible ways to address these problems and believes that area citizens have valuable knowledge and opinions that should be considered. The Value of Groundwater Survey, completed in 1997, provided information regarding county citizens' attitudes about groundwater quality. Over 90 percent of those surveyed thought groundwater quality should be at least as good as required for drinking water and health standards. A solid majority felt that government-local, county and state-should be doing more to keep the groundwater from deteriorating further, and should concentrate efforts on preventing groundwater contamination rather than simply responding when groundwater has already been contaminated.	The Portage County Groundwater Citizens Advisory Committee is looking at possible ways to address groundwater quality problems and believes that area citizens have valuable knowledge and opinions that should be considered. Taking their cue from this survey, committee members formed a Public Involvement and Education Subcommittee made up of interested citizens, educators and technical staff. This group developed a template for information that citizens wanted and needed to know about their groundwater resources. The group has been meeting for more than a year and has developed a slide presentation and a list of possible goals for groundwater quality. Committee members have been speaking to community groups and local government boards about the groundwater problems in the county. Based on feedback, the committee will make recommendations	to the County Board for groundwater protection programs. If you use water, you should be interested in this issue. Make your opinions count by being involved in some way. There are many groundwater professionals in the county that will assist in answering questions. Send your questions via e-mail to groundwater@co.portage.wi.us . The link is being provided as part of the committee's public outreach program. We encourage you to also express your opinions about local, countywide or statewide groundwater problems. Your comments will be forwarded to the appropriate department or individual. The committee will continue to provide information to the public regarding groundwater problems and possible solutions. (Schmidt is water quality specialist for Portage County. You can contact him by phone at 715-346-1334.)

Groundwater--The Hidden Resource

To the eye, water is abundant in Portage County. Of the County's half-million acres, 19,000 acres are wetlands and 15,000 acres are covered by 104 lakes, 110 trout streams, and the Wisconsin River. But have you thought about the water we can't see--groundwater?

Under our feet, the sand and gravel aquifer covering most of Portage County stores about 7 million acre feet of water and releases about 460 cfs (cubic feet per second) of water to our streams, lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Groundwater also supplies Portage County with 100% of its drinking and water needs for agricultural, residential, and industrial purposes. Many living things in our area- fish, frogs, ducks, beavers, and people, to name a few- are dependent on groundwater in one way or another. In fact, a family of four uses an average of 255 gallons of groundwater every day!

So what is groundwater? Groundwater is part of the Earth's water cycle that flows freely underground. Annually, Portage County receives 31 inches of water from rain and snowmelt. Some of this water runs off directly into lakes and streams, and some soaks into the soil. Ten inches of water infiltrates past plant roots and enters the water table, where it becomes groundwater. The top of the groundwater is called the water table. Unlike popular belief, groundwater is not an underground river or lake. Rather it is water stored in cracks in rocks or between sand grains. The geologic material that stores groundwater is called an aquifer. In Portage County, the average depth to groundwater is 0-50 feet and the average amount of time groundwater is underground is 30-50 years, unless it is pumped out sooner by wells.

Groundwater doesn't stay still, but moves from higher areas (recharge areas) to lower areas (discharge areas). The direction of groundwater flow is determined by a groundwater divide formed by a glacial moraine that runs from north to south through the center of Portage County.

As the map shows, groundwater flowing west of this divide empties into the Plover River or the Wisconsin River systems and groundwater flowing east of the divide empties into the Tomorrow River system. Groundwater moves extremely slowly---usually inches per day, whereas rivers move swiftly--cubic feet per second. However, due to our sandy soils, groundwater moves more quickly here from 1-3 feet per day. At this rate, groundwater and substances dissolved in it may only take 5 years to travel about 1 mile.

Because groundwater seeps from the soil surface to the water table and because well water comes from within a few miles of the well, activities on the land surface can affect groundwater quality. Fertilizers, pesticides, household cleaners, human and animal waste, underground storage tanks, as well as hazardous wastes, can contaminate groundwater. You can help to improve groundwater quality by examining your actions and their effects on water quality. Other ways to help improve groundwater conditions include conserving water, minimizing household waste, limiting the use of fertilizers and pesticides, and/or properly locating, constructing, and maintaining wells and septic systems. Remember that once contaminated, groundwater is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to clean up. Prevention is the key!

Keep your eyes open for next month's article, which will focus on one of Portage County's biggest groundwater challenges-nitrate. To comment or get involved with groundwater management, call 715-346-1334, e-mail groundwater@co.portage.wi.us , or go to http://www.uwsp.edu/water/portage .

By Denise Kilkenny-Tittle
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Is There Nitrate in Your Water?

Where does your water come from? In Portage County, groundwater supplies 100% of your drinking water. You may have known this, but do you know what may be in your water? Nitrate is the most prevalent groundwater contaminant. Nitrate exceeds drinking water and groundwater standards in about 20% of Portage County wells. In irrigated areas of the sand plain or where irrigation is concentrated, for example, in the northeast near Rosholt, the percentage of wells exceeding the nitrate standard is over 70%.

Nitrate is a chemical form of nitrogen. Common sources of nitrate include fertilizers, animal wastes, septic systems, municipal and industrial sewage treatment systems, landfills, urban drainage, and decaying plant debris. In most cases, elevated nitrate levels indicate general contamination of the aquifer at that depth.

The drinking water standard of 10 parts per million as nitrate-nitrogen is based on the risk of Methemoglobinemia (blue baby disease) to infants. Three cases of Methemoglobinemia have been reported in Wisconsin since 1990. Other concerns over health risks associated with nitrate in drinking water have been expressed regarding Non-Hodgkins Lymphona, gastric cancer, hypertension, thyroid disorder, birth defects, and miscarriage. Besides human health, concerns about nitrate include toxicity to livestock, fish eggs and fry, amphibian eggs and tadpoles.

Statewide, 90% of nitrate reaching groundwater is from agriculture land uses, 9% from septic systems, and 1% from other sources. The fraction of nitrate originating from agriculture is higher for parts of Portage County due to the higher than average proportion of agricultural land uses. In the wellhead protection area for the Village of Plover, 99% of the nitrate originates from agriculture. Other sources can be locally important. Nitrate loading from septic systems in dense, unsewered subdivisions can be as high as some of the most intensive farming operations. Developments that have a density of four septic systems per acre (quarter-acre lots) would be expected to load the same amount of nitrate to groundwater as one acre of potato or sweet corn.

Nitrate pollution has resulted in substantial costs that have been borne by taxpayers, utility customers, and private well owners. Three municipalities (Whiting, Plover, and Amherst) have had to install nitrate removal systems or drill new wells. Costs have involved capital expenses of $2.3 million for Plover and $630,000 for Whiting. These costs do not include continuous operating costs.

Nitrate concentrations in our groundwater began increasing approximately 30 years ago. According to monitoring and modeling studies recently done, they will continues to rise without efforts to reduce nitrate pollution. Studies looking at nitrate levels in the Stevens Point-Whiting-Plover wellhead protection area project that nitrate levels may rise another 50% over current levels.

How has nitrate pollution been dealt with in the past? As part of the last groundwater management plan, some inroads were made in controlling nitrate pollution. For instance, sewering in subdivisions has been implemented. Zoning for two acre minimum lot sizes for homes requiring septic systems has brought this land use into compatibility with the nitrate standard (note, however, that some townships do not use county zoning). However, relatively little progress has been made in reducing nitrate loading from agricultural lands.

Further studies need to be done in the agricultural industry to reduce nitrate loading. Depending on the soil type and agri-business, universal implementation of University Extension recommended practices would still result in continued increases in groundwater nitrate. In the County’s new groundwater management plan, new strategies will be needed for further improvements to be made. The Subcommittees of Portage County Groundwater Citizens Advisory Committee invite your input on groundwater goals and protection strategies.

Help protect your family and neighbors by taking action to improve groundwater quality. For more information contact Portage County Planning and Zoning at 346-1334 or groundwater@co.portage.wi.us . Portage County UW-Extension at 346-1316, or the Central Wisconsin Groundwater Center at 346-4270.

By Kathy Reidinger
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Groundwater Goals Ready for Public Review

By RAY SCHMIDT
For the Journal (9-6-00)

     Goals for the future quality and quantity of Portage County's groundwater have been drafted for public comment. The goals address the three main groundwater concerns identified in the county: nitrate, pesticides and ground water quantity. They were drafted by two subcommittees of the Portage County Ground Water Citizens Advisory Committee. The subcommittees have worked for the past year to determine the current condition of Portage County ground water, and to develop goals for what ground water conditions should be in the future.
     The goals for nitrates would keep levels low in currently uncontaminated areas. In areas already experiencing high, nitrate levels, the goal is to lower nitrate to levels safe for human health and aquatic life.
      Nitrate levels greater than 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in drinking water are unsafe for infants because of the risk of methemoglobinemia ("blue baby disease"). Research also suggests connections between high nitrate water and miscarriages, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and other forms of cancer. High nitrate may also harm livestock, fish and amphibians.

Currently, about 20 percent of private wells in the county exceed the drinking water limit for nitrate. The villages of

Whiting and Plover both operate treatment systems to remove nitrate from their municipal water supplies.

The goals for ground water quantity are to identify areas within the county which may have,. groundwater shortages now or in the future, and to avoid human-influenced depletion of the county's lakes,

streams, wetlands and groundwater reserves.

Several rivers in the county have already been identified as losing some of their flow because of ground water withdrawals.

The goals for pesticides are the most complex. The first goal is to determine which pesticides are being used in the county, and where. The county's ground water has not been checked for many of the pesticides used in the county, so testing wells for those pesticides being used is the next step.

Some pesticides have drinking water limits and ground water limits, but limits for others have not yet been determined.

For pesticides that have groundwater limits, the goal is to keep the levels in ground water to between 10 percent and 20 percent of the ground water limit- a level called the Preventive Action Level, or PAL. In areas where pesticide levels are less than the PAL, the goal is to keep them below the PAL.

The Goals address the three main ground water concerns identified in the county: nitrate, pesticides, and groundwater quantity.

For pesticides that don't have ground water limits, the goal is to keep the levels in groundwater at or below the PAL for pesticides that are similar to them in chemical characteristics.

There is also concern about the cumulative, or synergistic, effects of a number of pesticides combined in ground water, even if the level of each one alone is considered safe. The ground water goal for multiple pesticides is that the total amount of pesticide in ground water at any location must be kept below the limit allowed for any one of the pesticides.

For example, suppose that the ground water limit for Pesticide A is 3 mg/L. The groundwater limit for Pesticide B is 2 mg/L. If a water sample contained 2 mg/L of Pesticide A and 1 mg/L of Pesticide B, it would meet the ground water limit for each of the pesticides.. However, the proposed ground water goal would

hold the total acceptable amount of pesticides A and B together at 2 mg/L, the ground water limit for Pesticide B. The sample containing 3 mg/L of total pesticides would not meet the new goal.
"We're very hopeful that people in the county will take the time to give these goals serious consideration and comments," said Elizabeth Langer, who chairs the Ground Water Citizens Advisory Committee.

She encouraged people to contact their committee representative, to e-mail comments to groundwater@co.portage.wi.us, or to encourage their town board or civic group to schedule a presentation by the subcommittee.

A complete text of the goal is available on the Portage. County ground water Web site at http://www.uwsp.edu/water/
portage/.

The site also contains a Web board where people can engage in discussions about the goals and the Portage County Ground Water Conditions report.

After residents have shared their ideas, the goals will be refined.

The next step for the committee will then be to identify strategies that 'will achieve these goals.

(Schmidt is water quality specialist for Portage County You can contact him by

phone at 715-346-1334.)

Sustainable Agriculture is Key

Elizabeth Langer
For the Journal (11-8-00)

     Just what is sustainable agriculture and how does it differ from the conventional agriculture currently in wide use? Sustainable agriculture views the environment as an ally, whereas conventional agriculture often views the environment as an adversary.
     Many of the problems our current agricultural practices create arise in this adversarial relationship. Our wells are becoming contaminated, our food is tainted and our health is negatively affected by the contents in the latest "miracle in a plastic jug." Compounds such as DDT, nitrates, alachlor and atrazine have become part of our common lexicon.
     A rapidly growing number of farmers nationwide are turning to sustainable agriculture to reduce their liabilities and increase their profits. Higher crop prices, lower inputs, and less pollution are just a few of the benefits more farmers are realizing. Why, one might ask, are there more farmers considering this rapidly growing trend in agriculture? It really comes down to one's way of thinking. We all tend to operate on a base of knowledge and opinions that we have learned from those around us. We often accept what others tell us simply because they present themselves as authorities. We also tend to do what everyone else we know is doing. We give into peer pressure; we're afraid to be different.
     Our conventional system of agriculture is only some 50 years old. A few developments, like hybrid corn, have been around longer, but the heavy use of highly toxic chemicals and synthetic fertilizers is a post-war phenomenon. As our soils began to be depleted and compacted from these practices, we made choices. Instead of replenishing our soil to its natural state, we invested in chemicals to handle each new crisis. As the soil was depleted, more crises occurred. More and more chemicals became necessary and this downward spiral continues to this day.
     Today we have the tools and understanding that allow us to farm in an environmentally friendly manner and still get the yields we desire and be profitable. It is called sustainable, or biological,

agriculture. It is more humble. It respects nature and realizes that man cannot control all the elements of nature.
Plants and animals grow by natural laws, and they grow best when natural laws are followed, not overpowered by chemicals and other unnatural methods. Life operates in natural cycles. Quite simply, if the soil is sick, the plants become sick, animals become sick and humans become sick. One thing affects another. The way soil is fertilized controls the quality of crops. Crop quality affects animal and human health and productivity.
     Sustainable agriculture relies on cooperation-working with nature, not against it. A healthy soil negates the necessity for most commonly used chemicals. It could be called the method of understanding as opposed to the method of dominance. When we give the soil the right materials, an amazing array of soil organisms and mechanisms protect against diseases and pests naturally. We only need to encourage them and allow them to perform their function.
     The fertilizers used in sustainable agriculture are natural or low-salt, some immediately available and some slow-release. Properly designed methods of fertilizing balance all elements in the soil, not just nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium, as is the conventional practice. Healthy soil is built using frequent crop rotations, compost and the tilling' under of stands of "green manure" plantings.
     Weeds are controlled using mechanical cultivation, spot herbicides or "smother" crops. Sustainable farming causes little pollution to the groundwater, prevents erosion and is good for our health.
     The paradigm of sustainable, or biological,: agriculture focuses on life in the soil. Sustainable; agriculture works with natural

laws and systems and tries to help these systems operate more effectively. A healthy; balanced soil is the foundation necessary for healthy plants and animals. Sustainable agriculture is not against using modern technology and new methods, but it uses only those that do not interfere with natural systems and do not cause harm now or in the future.
     The results of sustainable agriculture are amazing. After a few years, soil structure improves, crop yield and quality are high, and animals are healthier and more productive. At the same time, weed, disease and pest problems virtually disappear. More importantly, damage to ground water does not, occur, our food is healthier due to the absence of chemical residues and our health is not jeopardized. In short, farming is fun again.
     A broad shift to sustainable agricultural methods might well be the single most significant change we could make, as a society, to guarantee the long-term health of our soils and ground water. Restoring the health of these resources is also necessary to ensure our own health and the health of the ecosystems upon which all life depends.
     All of us, including farmers, decision makers, consumers and community developers should work together to establish and nurture the markets and other conditions needed to hasten this transition.

(Langer is chairwoman of the Portage County Ground Water Advisory Committee. Members periodically provide, columns during their work to revise the county's water quality ordinance. For more information, call Ray Schmidt, county water quality specialist at 715-346-1334.)

Groundwater Reaches Florida

"I stumbled onto your website by accident. I am glad I did, and was impressed with the simplicity of the site and neutral feeling that anyone can get involved. Groundwater issues are becoming more widespread than people know. I see all the same things Florida is questioning, observing, and reporting, here on this website. I will view from a distance to see if you have some better ideas and information than we do," said Karen Thomas, a Florida resident.

This comment was posted on the Portage County Groundwater Website being developed by Denise Kilkenny-Tittle, an environmental education graduate student in the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Kilkenny-Tittle worked with the Portage County Groundwater Citizens Advisory Committee to create the website to inform and educate the public, as well as receive input from the public about the groundwater resource. The groundwater website at http://www.uwsp.edu/water/portage is active and ready for viewing. Topics include "Understanding Groundwater," "Teaching and Learning," "Managing the Resource," "Taking Action," "Kid's Stuff," "Calendar," and "More Info."

"It's a wonderful resource," said Mike Carder, environmental director of the Portage County Health Department, "I'm looking forward to the upcoming information on the health impacts of contaminated groundwater." "Although the website is nearing completion, a few pages are still under development. Nonetheless, there are many useful pages for the general public, teachers, and students," Kilkenny-Tittle said.

Groundwater supplies Portage County with 100 percent of its drinking and other water resource needs. Groundwater also feeds our streams, lakes, and wetlands. All living things depend on groundwater in one way or another. In fact, a family of four uses an average of 255 gallons of groundwater every day.

Because groundwater seeps from the soil surface to the water table, activities on the land surface can affect groundwater quality. Fertilizers, pesticides, household cleaners, human and animal waste, and other substances can contaminate groundwater. Once contaminated, groundwater is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to clean up.

According to Ray Schmidt, water quality specialist for Portage County, "The county has made significant advances in protecting groundwater, especially in the areas of municipal wellhead protection, regulation of septic systems, removal of underground petroleum storage tanks, and proper storage and application of manure."

Despite these successes, the Advisory Committee has identified three major groundwater challenges facing Portage County: quantity, nitrate, and pesticides. These challenges have negative implications for the local economy, as well as the health of humans and the environment. According to George Kraft, director of the Central Wisconsin Groundwater Center, of the wells tested in Portage County 20 percent exceed the drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL) for nitrate-nitrogen and 40 percent tested positive for atrazine detection (a pesticide).

Currently, the Portage County Planning and Zoning Department with assistance from the Advisory Committee is in the process of updating the County Groundwater Management Plan. "We want the public's input on what they think about the proposed groundwater management goals and strategies," said Elizabeth Langer, chair of the Advisory Committee. "We hope the public will use this well set-up and easy to navigate website to communicate their ideas to us."

"Your website stresses the sense of accountability. And more important, it is everybody's responsibility," concluded Thomas, the Florida resident. "The intent of the website is not only to inform and educate, but also to enable people to make informed decisions regarding groundwater management," Kilkenny-Tittle added.

To view this website, go to http://www.uwsp.edu/water/portage. Kilkenny-Tittle is also being advised by the Portage County Planning and Zoning Department, and her graduate committee co-chaired by Bryant Browne, Associate Professor of Soils and Water, and Dennis Yockers, Associate Professor of Environmental Education. For more information, contact Ray Schmidt, project director, at 715-346-1334.

By Denise Kilkenny-Tittle
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Economic Impacts of Groundwater Contamination

Contaminated groundwater does affect everyone in the county directly or indirectly.

You probably have heard about folks in Portage County who had contaminated wells and had to drill new, deeper wells. Maybe you read about this in the newspaper or saw it on television. The new well was expensive and the family had been hauling their drinking water before the well driller showed up. They looked desperate. You probably thought that kind of horrible thing will never happen to me and forgot about it. The effects of contaminated groundwater can be very direct such as buying a new well or seeing an increase in your taxes for a city water treatment plant, but they can be indirect such as loss of an opportunity, because an industry will not locate in an area with bad water.

Most of the groundwater problems in Portage County are from agriculture. Some estimates are as high as 75 %. The soil is very sandy and it is easy for products we use or dispose of to leach into the groundwater. Most of the water taken from a well is being recharged or replenished, within several miles of a well, so what you spill or spray can be what you drink. The Central Wisconsin Groundwater Center at UW Stevens Point has statistics showing about 18 % of the private wells in the county have nitrate levels above the health limit of 10 milligrams per liter. The main contributor is nitrogen fertilizer. The county has had problems with low levels of pesticides in groundwater, particularly atrazine. The county has also had problems with leaking gasoline tanks, road salt and other contaminants. All of these concerns have proven costly.

Sometimes it is not very easy to buy your way out of a groundwater problem. Some counties have multiple aquifers (water bearing sources) to drill into to draw water. If the top aquifer (let`s say limestone) is contaminated, the next aquifer, (the sandstone) might produce better water. Most of Portage County has either a modest layer of sand and gravel over granite rock or clay soil over granite rock. The granite does produce water, but often the yield is very low because it is a tight rock, few cracks with water. The sand and gravel layer produces a lot of water, but that coarse sand can easily allow contamination into the groundwater. Your geological options are limited as to where to drill a new well.

Even household filters are expensive to buy and costly to maintain; municipal treatment systems are more expensive and they are mandatory. The village of Whiting spent $630,000 to build nitrate removal equipment and Plover spent $2.3 million to install their nitrate filter plant. These communities must still spend thousands of dollars to maintain and recharge this treatment equipment. Real estate prices are directly affected by bad water.

More disturbing is the fact nitrate levels in the groundwater have increased in some of our municipal well recharge areas and the models run by scientists have shown the problem will continue to increase, whether or not the fertilizer applications are reduced to the lowest possible levels necessary to grow corn or potatoes. Groundwater moves slowly and one might think we have an endless amount of time to make the best land use decisions, but what we do today can definitely affect the groundwater resources for years to come. No decision on land use planning is still a decision.

So what are your options? Portage County is rich in abundant groundwater and much of it is still of good quality. Portage County is also rich in concerned, educated citizens. The citizens need to work with their local leaders to make the hard decisions necessary to protect their groundwater. These decisions can be costly and difficult. For example, one of the nearby communities realized the nitrate levels near the city wells were climbing so they paid the local farmers to raise crops requiring less nitrogen fertilizer. Corn and potatoes require the most nitrogen so they will not be grown there. The farmer was paid a price difference to go to another crop. Some of the communities have also passed zoning laws prohibiting certain types of practices in a well recharge area.

Unfortunately wells are recharged in a large area and to have any real effective land use planning, you need to get the whole county involved in your efforts. This means townships and communities, farmers and developers all need to be involved. Please be a part of that effort. The county wants to update their original plan passed in 1986. That plan was good, but our priorities have changed as has our knowledge.

To learn more about the Portage County`s planning efforts and to share your ideas, visit the website at www.uwsp.edu/water/portage.

By Fred Bailey-WI DNR
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Farm and Residential Petroleum Storage Tanks

By May 1, 2001, certain underground storage tanks must be removed, replaced or upgraded. Wisconsin regulates all underground tanks that store heating oil or vehicle fuel. An underground tank (UST) is one that has at least 10% of its volume, including piping, underground. These USTs historically have been constructed of plain or coated steel, and over the years many have corroded and leaked petroleum products into soil and groundwater.

The Wisconsin Department of Commerce regulates USTs, based on their capacity and whether they store vehicle fuel or heating oil. All USTs greater than 60 gallons must be registered with the Department of Commerce. To find out if your tank is registered contact the department at 608/266-7874 or check on their internet database at www.commerce.state.wi.us (click on “environmental regulations”).

The Department of Commerce estimates that underground gasoline tanks begin leaking after 12 to 17 years (heating oil tanks seem to last a few years longer). Even small leaks can add up to big problems. A tank leaking one drop every 10 seconds could release 60 gallons per year. Unfortunately, it takes only a few quarts of gasoline to severely contaminate a family’s drinking water or a nearby stream or lake. In addition to the environmental and health problems, property owners are financially responsible for clean-up costs, which can range from $10,000 to much more. Farmers and other rural homeowners need to pay close attention to the installation and maintenance of USTs.

Vehicle Fuel USTs
Tanks containing 1,100 gallons or less must be upgraded/removed by a certified tank remover/installer or replaced by May 1, 2001. Tanks containing more than 1,100 gallons fall under federal regulations and should have been upgraded or replaced by December 22, 1998.

Heating Oil USTs
Tanks greater than 4,000 gallons currently are required to have an approved method of leak detection (also called “tightness testing”). Beginning May 1, 2001 tanks containing between 1,100 gallons and 4,000 gallons are required to have an approved method of leak detection. Farm and residential heating oil tanks 1,100 gallons or less are exempt from the leak detection requirement.

Closing a UST
Tanks no longer in use after 12 months must be closed. Tank closure means emptying and removing the tank and all piping and related equipment. In isolated cases a tank may be closed in place and filled with an inert material.

All closures must occur under supervision of a certified tank remover. An authorized agent of the Department of Commerce (usually a local fire department) must be given at least 15 days notice prior to closing. If the tank has not been registered, it must be at time of closing.

Evidence of soil or water contamination must be reported to the Department of Natural Resources, which then determines if steps are needed to clean up the site. A site assessment for soil contamination must be conducted for all vehicle fuel tanks and heating oil tanks greater than 4,000 gallons.

From: Farm & Residential petroleum Storage Tanks, a publication of the University of Wisconsin - Extension

By Sharon Schwab
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