tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6621691715090523319.post6168994357410626328..comments2023-10-08T04:12:46.273-05:00Comments on The Political Environment: As Wisconsin Is Set To Give Away More Groundwater...James Rowenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10203270946492159686noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6621691715090523319.post-86596874602474853902013-09-10T06:50:12.291-05:002013-09-10T06:50:12.291-05:00http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/waukesha-rev...http://www.jsonline.com/news/waukesha/waukesha-revises-future-lake-michigan-water-needs-downward-b9993785z1-222995401.html<br /><br />Waukesha needs to be involved in regional groundwater management rather than continuing to waste money on pr firms and ineffective stratigizers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6621691715090523319.post-34827008477698956322013-09-09T02:45:49.444-05:002013-09-09T02:45:49.444-05:00Those helpful hints can be filed under "NSS&q...Those helpful hints can be filed under "NSS" for No-Shit, Sherlock. <br /><br />In an already uber-ironic posting, here's more irony to mull over: WisDNR's latching onto National Groundwater Day (or week, whatever), a feel-good, meaningless "Day" cooked up by the National Groundwater Association, an group of water utilities and the companies that sell stuff to them. Of course, the Water Lovers at NGA will be thrilled for you private well and septic folks to curtail your water use and protect water quality: More for us to sell back to you! Or at least to our public water customers. <br /><br />The cutesy copy confuses public system users and private well and septic owners: if you're getting water from your local municipality, chances are very, very good that you're hooked up to sewer as well. <br />Unless you live in the Town of Jackson. When the residents whose wells were poisoned by the gas pipeline leak begin receiving city water, they shouldn't have to be as meticulous about their septic maintenance. Thanks to the carelessness of West Shore Pipe Line, the groundwater under their yards and homes has already been rendered toxic; it will matter little if some fecal bacteria falls into the toxic stew. It will be unusable for decades. (You can bet West Shore will follow the leads of Exxon in Prince William Sound and BP in the Gulf and begin backing away from financial responsibility soon.)<br /><br />People on private wells and septic systems generally are more acutely aware of the need to keep groundwater healthy and to take proper care of septic systems, as supply and discharge are usually quite close together, and the homeowner is on the financial hook to fix any problems. Private well and septic owners worry much more about public utilities drilling high capacity wells nearby that draw down well levels, or road expansions and new developments paving over the wetlands that store, protect and cleanse groundwater. <br /><br />So pathetic that our state DNR, which formerly would develop its own groundwater programs and create its own celebrations is now so corporately owned and controlled that it has become a mere PR outlet for an industry association.Boxernoreply@blogger.com