The City of Chippewa Falls receives all of its drinking water from ground water. Local geology allows contaminants to easily reach ground water, and it has been determined that approximately 60 percent of the city’s water has high nitrate levels. A fertilizer cooperative has been identified as a major contributor to those levels.
To find a solution, Chippewa Falls coordinated with neighboring towns to develop a watershed management plan. Based on recommendations made in the management plan, the city developed a proactive wellhead protection plan, and later added a new well and nitrate removal system. The city also has filed a lawsuit against the fertilizer cooperative (State-EPA Nutrient Innovations Task Group 2009).
Reference:
State-EPA Nutrient Innovations Task Group. 2009. An Urgent Call to Action – Report of the State-EPA Nutrient Innovations Task Group. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed October 2016. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/nitgreport.pdf.