Bipartisan voices push water quality message

Posted at 2:40 p.m. on February 14, 2019

The Brillion News

MADISON – Both Democratic Governor Tony Evers and Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos came out on the same side of an issue.

Evers announced two new water quality initiatives while Vos announced creation of a Task Force on Water Quality.

One Evers initiative is raising state funds in the Well Compensation Fund by $1.6 million to $2 million. That program will help owners or renters replace, reconstruct or treat contaminated private water supplies that provide drinking water or water for livestock.

Funding will go to recipients with those having the most contaminated wells getting preference.

The second governor’s initiative orders the DNR to spend $75,000 in a survey to evaluate safety of drinking water in Grant , Iowa and Lafayette counties in southwest Wisconsin.

Vos announced creation of a 16-member bi-partisan Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality. It was prompted by the problems of water contamination in wells in northeast and southwest Wisconsin.

Appointed from our area are State Senators Andre Jacque (R-De Pere) and Robert Cowles (R-Green Bay) and State Representative Staush Gruszynski (D-Green Bay).

The task force will hold  hearings around the state, and make recommendations to the legislature on assessing and improving the quality of surface water and ground water,