Our Legacy of Victory
Comprehensive Groundwater Protection Act
In the early 1980s, Clean Wisconsin fought to expand Wisconsin’s legal, organizational and financial ability to control pollution of our groundwater aquifers. In 1983, Wisconsin passed the Comprehensive Groundwater Protection Act, becoming one of the first states to enact a comprehensive law to address groundwater pollution.
The Comprehensive Groundwater Protection Act laid the foundation for strong groundwater protections, setting new standards for contaminants, requiring state agencies to regulate activities that might impact groundwater, and mandating monitoring to ensure compliance. By working alongside policymakers, Clean Wisconsin helped build support for these new contaminant standards that continue to protect families today. Our work on the law helped bring a new level of expertise to our organization as well. Clean Wisconsin still works every day to address groundwater contamination from harmful compounds like PFAS and nitrates.
Why it Matters
Groundwater is an enormously important resource in Wisconsin. This water, stored in rock formations below ground called aquifers, supplies drinking water for communities across the state and irrigation for farming. It is vital to protect our groundwater aquifers from contamination and overuse through standards, regulatory programs and monitoring. Find out more about this important law at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council Website.
