The most recent round of testing in Kewaunee County produced results you are already familiar with: many residents and businesses have unsafe drinking water.  UW-Stevens Point groundwater education specialist Kevin Masarik presented the findings as a part of a Kewaunee County Land and Water Conservation Committee meeting Wednesday night in Luxemburg, which showed many residents have nitrate levels in their water above the state average. It has been of growing concern in the Village of Casco, where residents and businesses are dealing with higher nitrate levels with every well dug. Tim Kinnard has heard the complaints on multiple fronts as a Village of Casco Trustee, a Kewaunee County Board Member, and a resident who had to install a reverse osmosis water system to get a tighter grip on his home’s elevated nitrate levels. He says it has been a frustrating battle for the village, which recently was denied a grant that would have provided some funding for a municipal water system in Casco.

Casco Kidz Zone owner Lisa Cochart is one of the businesses affected by the elevated nitrate levels as she teeters between a possible closure with every test. She knows local leaders are doing what they can, but more is needed.

Run-off from animal waste, fertilizer, landfills, and septic systems is often to blame for nitrates getting into the well water. The Kewaunee County Land and Water Conservation Department has made the results from the most recent study from UW-Stevens Point available on its website.