NOTICE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release – Wisconsin Rural Water Association

350 Water Way March 12, 2007

Plover, WI 54467

Telephone: 715-344-7778 Fax: 715-344-5555

Contact: Kathy Savonne, Kathy@wrwa.org

March 12-16 is National Groundwater Awareness Week

Wisconsin Groundwater Facts

· Wisconsin has approximately 1.2 quadrillion gallons of groundwater.

· Over 70% of Wisconsin residents use groundwater as their main source of water.

· Total Groundwater use in Wisconsin totals about 1,073 million gallons per day.  

· Wisconsin has about 850,000 private wells.

· Wisconsin has over 12,000 public water systems including over 600 municipal water systems

· Rainfall over Wisconsin averages 32 inches annually but only 6-10 inches of it soaks in to become groundwater.

· Southeast Wisconsin has declining groundwater levels that are up to 10 feet a year.

· Northeast Wisconsin has declining groundwater levels that are up to 3 feet a year.

Groundwater is an extremely valuable resource to Wisconsin.  As a part of water cycle that is underground, too often it can be ‘out of site – out of mind’.  Wisconsin truly is a water rich state. The availability of clean drinking water in wells has made Wisconsin what it is today.  Groundwater supplies are replenished, or recharged, by rain and snow melt.  As Wisconsin grown and land use changes, it has become more and more imperative to be aware of and protect our groundwater which has been appropriately name our ‘buried treasure’.

Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA) is a non-profit organization of rural and small water and wastewater systems. Its mission: “To assist water/wastewater systems improve and preserve the quality and quantity of water resources in the State of Wisconsin”. WRWA is the largest utility association in Wisconsin.