Madison – This morning, AB 635/SB 628, also known as the Water Quality Notification Act, received a public hearing in the Senate. Rep. Billings introduced this bipartisan bill to protect public health and released the following statement:
“Everyone in Wisconsin deserves to know whether the water flowing from their taps is safe for themselves and their families. By holding a public hearing to consider the Water Quality Notification Act today, we moved forward on a common-sense action to protect public health. I am grateful for the support of 60 of my colleagues in the Assembly and Senate who have signed on to this bill, including my co-authors, Representative Novak and Senator James.”
“This bill would require that the state Department of Natural Resources notify county and tribal health departments about an exceedance in groundwater quality standards, including PFAS standards, within 7 days of verifying the exceedance. It empowers county governments by providing them with the information they need to contact effected residents quickly regarding possible pollution in drinking water.”
“Contaminants like arsenic, PFAS, and nitrates are all colorless, tasteless, and odorless and cannot be detected without a test. These hazardous substances can cause low birth weights, birth defects, and increased risk of some cancers. People deserve to know if their water threatens their health, and this bill would be particularly beneficial for residents of rural areas who use private wells that do not benefit from the monitoring and notification processes used by municipal water systems. More families would be able to make sure that the water they and their children drink is safe, and if there are any problems, they would be able to take advantage of local and county-level testing programs, learn about remediation and filtration options, and potentially receive assistance from state-level initiatives like the Well Compensation Grant Program.”
“In recent months, I have been working closely with environmental advocates, industry stakeholders, and the DNR to craft a simple compromise amendment to refine the language of the bill and incorporate their suggestions. This is a good-government policy to ensure that the state government is communicating urgent public health information to counties and it has received significant bipartisan support because it would protect public health. I am committed to working with my colleagues to protect the people of Wisconsin from polluted water.”
