Common Groundwater Problems and Concerns in Eau Claire County and Wisconsin
Here are some helpful links to articles that can better answer questions about groundwater concerns and steps that can be taken to prevent problems. These articles not only deal with groundwater concerns in Eau Claire County, but also groundwater concerns for the entire state of Wisconsin. Many groundwater problems found in other areas of Wisconsin can be similarly found in Eau Claire County. These articles are aimed to provide a better understanding and education on groundwater safety.
* All files below are in PDF format 
Maintaining Your Home Well Water System UWEX)
This is not only an article about safe well water system maintenance and monitoring, but can also be printed out and used as a log for your personal well records. The information recorded in the log will be valuable to any professional advising you about your water system. Make sure to file this log and keep it in your records so it can be passed on to future owners. All well owners should have a copy of a well construction report for their property.
An Analysis of Nitrate-Nitrogen in Ground Water Beneath Unsewered Subdivisions (John R. Tinker, Jr.)
This is an important article that had a study from private wells in five subdivisions in Eau Claire and LaCrosse counties. The purpose of this study was to monitor nitrate-nitrogen concentrations with relation to groundwater flow direction, location of septic systems within the subdivision, and the groundwater characteristics of the subdivisions. The results showed that nitrogen from septic systems and lawn fertilizer caused the nitrate-nitrogen concentrations to increase in the groundwater on the down-gradient side. Some of these concentrations were above the drinking water standard. Read this to learn about the effect of septic systems and fertilizer on your well water supply.
Using Groundwater Models to Evaluate Strategies for Drinking-Water Protection in Rural Subdivisions (Journal of the American Planning Association, Summer 2010, Vol. 76, No. 3)
This is another article that discusses the impact of septic systems on rural subdivisions. Because these subdivisions are further from urban centers, the water comes from private wells and septic systems are also at the property. These septic systems can contain and spread out many contaminants such as nutrients, bacteria, viruses, and household chemicals that can find their way into the private well water supply. This article also discusses the importance of groundwater modeling so as to evaluate strategies for additional drinking water protection in these rural subdivisions.
Incidence of Enteric Viruses in Groundwater from Household Wells in Wisconsin (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Feb. 2003)
This article is a study about the contamination of groundwater with human enteric viruses. Microorganisms that inhabit the intestines are commonly known as enteric bacteria. Occurrences of these viruses are well known in public water systems, but little is known about the occurrence of these viruses in private household wells. This study tested fifty Wisconsin household wells in seven different districts to measure the occurrence of the enteric viruses such as rotavirus, hepatitis A, Norwalk-like viruses, and E. coli. This study was the first in the United States to monitor private household wells for virus contamination. The data collected will help to provide further insight into the virus contamination of groundwater.
