University of Wisconsin - Extension

Contact: Kevin Masarik, (715)346-4276, kmasarik@uwsp.edu

Stevens Point, Wis.-- Groundwater Awareness Week (March 9-15) reminds us to pay extra attention to how much water we use, according to Kevin Masarik, groundwater educator for the University of Wisconsin-Extension.

Wisconsin relies heavily on its groundwater resources. Groundwater is the water source for 95 percent of Wisconsin communities and 100 percent of homes with wells. This means that nearly 75 percent of the state’s residents depend on groundwater to meet their daily water needs.

Groundwater supplies almost all water for the state’s agricultural industry, nearly one-third of all industrial uses and half of the commercial interests that use water.

People aren’t the only ones that depend on groundwater. It also supplies most of the water to our state’s lake, river and wetland ecosystems--resources that not only add to the state’s high quality of life, but are critical to Wisconsin’s popular tourism industry.

Because groundwater is a local resource, removing groundwater more quickly than it is replaced can create local and regional water quantity issues. Pumping large amounts of water from wells too close to surface waters can sometimes reduce the amount of water that would normally flow to springs and streams--less water in these resources can negatively affect the health of aquatic ecosystems. Pumping of the deep sandstone aquifers in parts of the state has caused significant drawdown of the confined aquifers in parts of southeastern, northeastern, and to a lesser extent, south central Wisconsin near Madison.

Because of the problems created from overuse of groundwater, some areas of the state have begun taking a serious look at water conservation and revisiting how water is used.

Here are some simple steps homeowners and businesses can take to reduce the amount of water they consume each day:

• Fix leaky faucets or toilets. This can save 10-20 gallons of water per day.
• Install a new, low-flow showerhead and faucet. These consume about 40 percent less water than older models.
• Upgrade to a front-load, water-efficient washing machine. This not only drastically reduces water needed for doing laundry, but also cuts down on the time needed to dry clothing.
• Reuse water. Some homes and businesses practice water reuse, which can be as simple as collecting stormwater from the roof or water from the shower and washing machine, and using it for things like watering the garden or flushing the toilet.

Using less water not only helps to conserve precious water resources--it also saves money and decreases energy costs by reducing energy needed to pump water out of the ground and energy used to heat water.

For more information on water conservation tips and other simple things you can do to become a better steward of our groundwater resources, go online to http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/dwg/gw/pubs/bhgw.pdf to view a copy of a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources brochure entitled "Better Homes and Groundwater" (PUB-DG-070 2004).