Clean Water Updates
Short posts on current issues, updated as necessary to keep our Clean Water supporters informed.
Posted December 12, 2025- With millions of dollars becoming available to municipalities for water infrastructure in the recent state budget, the City of Rhinelander looks to take advantage of the opportunity.
As you are probably aware, the City of Rhinelander has two water wells shut down due to PFAS contamination. With the city unable to find suitable sites to drill for replacement wells, Nicolet College declines Rhinelander city well proposal | WXPR they now have turned their attention to filtering the PFAS from the two shut down wells rather than drill replacement wells.
The decision to move forward with filtering is reported by WXPR, Rhinelander moves forward with plans for PFAS treatment of two off-line wells | WXPR . A quote from the article shares some of the city's thought processes.
"Common Council approved spending up to $460,000 for the design of a PFAS water treatment facility for the wells.
“This includes the design of the treatment facility at seven and eight. It also includes SCADA upgrades throughout the city, as well as backup generator at well five,” Mark Barden with Town and Country told common council Monday.
Pilot testing needs to be done first to determine what kind of treatment is needed for these wells.
The money will come from the City’s water funding but is reimbursable through the state’s safe drinking water program.
“Pretty much, once this is done, it should be at the point of applying for grants and then letting out for bid once we have a funding source,” said Rhinelander Mayor Kris Hanus."
With the decision to approve the pilot testing mentioned, concerns were raised about the environmental impacts of the pilot testing. Those concerns were covered in a Northwoods Star Journal article Council passes resolution in support of county shop redevelopment, approves water treatment study - Northwoods Star Journal . A quote from the article talks about pumping and disposing of PFAS tainted water during the testing process.
"Alderman Gerald Anderson raised concerns about pumping and disposing of water during the testing process. Dressler assured the council the wells would need to be flushed for several days initially, but during the actual pilot test, only about 3,000 gallons per day would be used—well below the DNR’s 70-gallon-per-minute threshold that requires permitting.
Mayor Hanus noted the similarity to the recent Messer Street project and sought assurance about environmental safety.
“As far as pumping groundwater to the surface, testing it and then letting it go back to groundwater, it sounds very familiar to what we did on Messer,” Hanus said. “I’m assuming it’s all approved by the DNR and recommended actually, like on Messer Street?”
“What we’re actually doing here is we’re actually treating it as we input,” Droessler responded. “What we’re running through the pilot test, we’re actually treating that water before it infiltrates back into the soil.”
OCCWA will look to cover the Rhinelander well project going forward. Clearly, it will be no small endeavor for the Mayor and City Council.
Posted December 4, 2025- A Wisconsin DNR and UW- Madison partnership provides private well owners a tool to better understand their lab test results.
Anyone who has looked at test results from samples taken of their well water, knows they aren't prepared for Jon Q Public to easily understand. To that point, the WDNR's latest press release (below) offers on online tool to help well owners better understand their test results. Considering all the water testing in Oneida County in the past few years, it couldn't come at a better time.
WDNR Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 4, 2025
Contact: Marty Nessman, DNR Private Water Supply Section Manager
Martin.Nessman@wisconsin.gov or 608-574-2592
DNR Announces New Online Tool To Help Private Well Owners Interpret Water Lab Test Results
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the launch of Be Well Informed, an online tool that can help private well owners interpret their drinking water lab test results.
The DNR partnered with the UW-Madison Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, Wisconsin Department of Health Services and UW-Madison Division of Extension to design the Wisconsin version of Be Well Informed. The tool is tailored to Wisconsin’s drinking water environment and includes current water guidelines and standards. Resources are also available to help private well owners make informed decisions about the results.
"I'm pleased that Wisconsin is able to provide this valuable tool to help private well owners make sense of their drinking water test results," said Marty Nessman, DNR Private Water Supply section manager. "Understanding the well water lab report is an important step toward correcting any water quality issues that may exist."
A well owner can simply enter the test results provided by a certified laboratory, and the tool generates a report that explains the results and provides educational resources for any recommended next steps.
Wisconsin has over 800,000 private wells that serve about one-quarter of the state’s population. While most private water wells in Wisconsin provide safe drinking water, some may become contaminated with bacteria and other contaminants that can affect health.
Testing your well is the best way to make sure your water is safe. The DNR recommends that private well owners test their water at least annually and whenever there is a change in the taste, odor or color of the water.
More information is available for well owners on the DNR’s Private Well Owners webpage.At Oneida County Clean Waters Action, we are committed to protecting the environment through various initiatives and programs. Our mission is to promote sustainability and environmental conservation through education, advocacy, and community engagement. We believe that by working together, we can make a positive impact on our planet and ensure a better future for generations to come.
Posted December 4, 2025- Latest newsletter from Knowles Nelson shares how some legislators want to start legislative gridlock at $250K as well as questionable votes by two Northwood State Representatives.
Knowles Nelson Newsletter:
On Wednesday, the Assembly Committee on Forestry, Parks and Outdoor Recreation met to amend Rep. Tony Kurtz’s Knowles-Nelson reauthorization bill (AB 315/AB 612) and decide whether to advance it to the full Assembly. Even after months of waiting, the hearing brought mixed results and no real progress.
The most significant change in the presented amendment was a proposal to lower the threshold for when DNR land acquisitions must receive full legislative approval. Instead of requiring approval only for projects over $1 million, the amendment would trigger the full legislative process for any purchase over $250,000. That means every project above that amount would have to move through the Legislature as its own bill, even after completing the DNR’s rigorous internal review and approval by the Natural Resources Board.
We have consistently expressed concerns about this approach. It is simply not realistic to expect the Legislature — which already struggles to advance routine legislation — to take up conservation projects at the speed and consistency required for real estate transactions. And even if a bill were introduced, there is no guarantee it would ever receive a hearing or a vote.
By contrast, the Democratic proposal would create an independent, bipartisan Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Council with clear deadlines to review and vote on larger projects. It offers a predictable, workable process that doesn’t depend on the full Legislature’s pace.
Although the committee adopted the amendment, the bill itself deadlocked 6–6. Democratic members voted no because none of their concerns were addressed, and two northern Wisconsin Republicans—Rep. Rob Swearingen and Rep. Calvin Callahan—also voted no, citing an overabundance of land conserved by Knowles-Nelson in their districts.
So we looked into the math. Using DNR data through fiscal year 2024, we found that Knowles-Nelson has protected about 4.7% of the land in Rep. Swearingen’s district, which covers Rhinelander, Eagle River, and the surrounding Northwoods up to the Michigan border.
In Rep. Callahan’s district, which includes the communities of Antigo, Tomahawk, and Merrill, the share is even smaller - under 4%.
Knowles-Nelson has conserved more land in these northern districts than in many others — working forests are central to the Northwoods economy — but these are still modest amounts. They show why continuing this work matters, not why we should walk away from it. You can explore the data yourself on our interactive map at map.knowlesnelson.org.
In conversations with legislators across the political spectrum, one message continues to ring true: any successful reauthorization of Knowles-Nelson will require bipartisan support. Republicans hold the majority, but the Governor must sign any final bill, and it’s difficult to imagine that happening without meaningful Democratic input.
Rather than trying to appeal to the most skeptical members of either party, a more realistic path is to bring conservation supporters from both parties to the table and work toward a modest, practical compromise.
But hearings are not the end of the process, and a tied committee vote does not prevent a bill from advancing. Chairman Mursau has already sent the bill to the full Assembly “without recommendation.” The Assembly meets next week, though the bill is not yet on the agenda. If it does not move then, the next opportunity will come in January.
In the meantime, your voice matters. Here’s how you can help:
- Contact your legislators and tell them you’re paying close attention to the debate over Knowles-Nelson. Ask them to work across the aisle and find a compromise that keeps the program strong.
Posted November 27, 2025- Mixed message from Feds on PFAS standards creating quagmire for affected communities.
In a recent WXPR article with video clip Challenges regulating PFAS due to mixed federal messages | WXPR shares the convoluted process going on at the federal level in dealing with PFAS. A quote from the article states concerns.
"There are mixed messages about PFAS coming from the Trump Administration. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spoken about tackling them as part of the "Make America Healthy Again" plan.
But the EPA has been quick to amend or remove regulations concerning these chemicals. Donley said establishing a standard definition of PFAS would improve how these chemicals are regulated.
"We’re seeing vastly different definitions being used," said Donley, "and, unfortunately, in the regulatory context in the U.S. we’re using a definition of PFAS that was outdated 15 years ago."
In a related article Trump aims to ease EPA reporting rules on 'forever chemicals' the current administration looks to loosen industry reporting requirements. A quote from the article:
"The Trump administration is proposing to loosen requirements for companies to report on their uses of “forever chemicals.”
These chemicals, many of which are toxic, have been used in a wide array of consumer and other applications, including to make items that are nonstick, waterproof and stain resistant."
Another related article shares information on the Feds allowing PFAS in pesticides used by the agricultural industry. A quote from the article laments the reversal of promises to rein in PFAS.
"The Trump administration is poised to again approve a new Pfas “forever chemical” pesticide ingredient, a move that is drawing criticism from public health advocates who say the nation’s food and water supply is being put at more risk from the dangerous compounds.
The substance would be sprayed on corn, soybeans and wheat, and it marks the fifth Pfas pesticide ingredient the US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed for approval under Donald Trump’s second term as US president.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump and his ally and now health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, promised to rein in the use of dangerous pesticides, but the EPA has loosened oversight and is accelerating pesticide approvals, which is causing friction between Maga and Maha (the make America great again and make America healthy again movements)."
These two developments in concert with the EPA requesting to reverse their own previously established PFAS drinking water standards EPA asks court to reverse its own PFAS drinking water standards is quite concerning. A Quote from the article states:
"After years of work to remove chemicals known as PFAS from our drinking water, the EPA is now asking a federal court to reverse its own rules regulating them. Local environmental groups are concerned after what their years of testing our region's water has shown.
The new filing from the Environmental Protection Agency comes in a case where organizations representing water utilities and chemical companies are seeking to reverse the agency's PFAS limits in drinking water. The agency just implemented those limits last spring in response to nationwide testing and growing evidence showing the widely used chemicals increase the risk of cancer."
Considering that the State of Wisconsin has yet to set PFAS drinking water standards and currently uses EPA recommended standards, one can see how impactful these decisions can be.
Posted November 25, 2025- Inspirational stories of land conservation in Oneida County provided by Northwoods Land Trust.
With the Knowles Nelson Program in jeopardy, Northwoods Land Trust (NWLT) provides uplifting stories of private landowners stepping up with conservation efforts of their own. In NWLT's latest newsletter Fall-25-NWLT-Newsletter_small.pdf they share stories of three individual landowners selling conservation easements in Oneida County.
Two of the easements protect shoreline on Lake Julia and Myrtle Lake. The third easement protects 200 acres of environmentally significant woodlands. OCCWA would like to thank all the property owners and NWLT for their extraordinary efforts in preserving these lands in perpetuity.
What is NWLT? An excerpt from NWLT's website states:
"In 2001, the Northwoods Land Trust (NWLT) was formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – created when lake property owners and lake organizations expressed a need for permanent conservation options for private landowners. Shoreland protection remains among our highest priorities.
Our region’s watersheds are healthy, with intact forests and wetlands, and excellent lake and river water quality. One reason for having such healthy watersheds and high-quality waters is because of the amount of public and private conservation land that safeguard these resources. Conservation land certainly plays a role in the economics of the region as natural-resource based tourism and recreation bring in millions of dollars of annual revenue to our communities.
Today, over 15,000 acres of land with 85+ miles of shoreline is protected by NWLT in our seven-county service area. These lands include private conservation easements, as well as conservation areas that NWLT owns and manages that are open to the public year-round. Every year more land is placed under permanent conservation to leave a lasting legacy for future generations."
If you would like to place an easement on your own property or help NWLT in their efforts, visit their website at: Northwoods Land Trust
Posted November 11, 2025- Latest rumors out of Madison have the Water Sports Industry again preparing to introduce bad legislation on Wakeboats.
Now we know that we have all heard these rumblings before, but there is a very good reason for being vigilant in this case. The Water Sports Industry Association has been running ads promoting "One Standard Rule" (See Photo) One does not need to be a rocket scientist to know what one standard rule means.
One Standard Rule across Wisconsin could mean every lake regardless of size or depth must comply with whatever numbers are adopted by the State Legislature? The question then becomes, what happens to local town ordinances? We have seen the legislature pass bills with language preventing counties and towns from being more protective than the state. One only needs to look at the state restrictions on towns and counties Shoreland Protection Ordinances.
We would like to remind everyone of Senate President Felzkowski's statement to WXPR for a May article. Wake boats, housing, and PFAS among top concerns brought up in Northwoods listening session | WXPR
“The legislation will ensure local control with no limitations on it. We are looking at the spreading of invasives. We are looking at public safety, and we are looking at distance from shore,” Felzkowski said."
Language preventing towns from creating their own ordinances would be nothing more than an industry sponsored political power grab. Anything less than ensuring local control with no limitations would be unacceptable.
Summary of Lakes at Stake Wisconsin's latest newsletter
The Wakeboat Industry, led by the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA), is preparing to introduce a wake surfing bill in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Their PR campaign—seen across social media—promotes a 200-foot distance from shore as a supposed safety measure.
However, lake advocates warn this proposal is misleading and inadequate:
- Many Wisconsin lakes already require 200–300 feet for slow-no-wake zones, yet damage and safety issues persist.
- The proposed limits won’t protect shorelines, fisheries, or other lake users from the large wakes these boats generate.
- The Industry’s claim of “keeping lakes accessible for everyone” ignores the environmental harm and costly shoreline repairs caused by a small fraction of wakeboat users.
Despite repeated requests, the Industry has refused to collaborate on independent testing with UW or UWM scientists or to acknowledge credible research showing wake-induced damage in waters less than 20 feet deep.
Advocates believe the Industry’s true goal is to preempt local ordinances—potentially overturning or weakening 72 existing local wakesurf restrictions on about 15% of eligible lakes—to boost boat sales.
Wisconsin residents are urged to:
- Stay alert for the introduction of the “bad bill.”
- Contact legislators to oppose measures that remove local control or fail to protect lake ecosystems and safety.
- Support science-based regulations that ensure all users can enjoy Wisconsin’s waters responsibly.
Sign up for Lakes at Stake newsletter here: Join Our Email List — Lakes at Stake
Posted November 11, 2025- Towns of Cassian and Hazelhurst pass waveboat ordinaces.
The town of Cassian passed Ordinance No; 2025-003 Ordinance No. 2025-0003 An Ordinance Restricting Certain Artificial Wake Enhancement.pdf (See Photo) restricting artificial wake enhancement. The ordinance protects all lakes and waters wholly within the Town of Cassian as well as Cassian border lakes of Bearskin, Alva, Birch Hughitt, and McCormick.
The Town of Hazelhurst passed two waveboat ordinances. Ordinance No; 25-01 http://www.hazelwi.net/forms/Ordenance/ordinance-25-01-wake-boat-border-lakes.pdf which protects bordering lakes shared with the towns of Cassian and Lake Tomahawk. Ordinance No; 25-02 ordinance-25-02-wake-boat-wholly-in-hazelhurst.pdf which protects lakes wholly located in Hazelhurst.
Cassian and Hazelhurst thus join multiple towns in Oneida County in passing waveboat ordinances protecting their Northwoods glacial lakes. Any other towns interested in protecting their lakes in the same manner may contact Last Wilderness Alliance to assist in composing a town specific waveboat ordinance.
Contact Last Wilderness Alliance at: Contact 1 — Last Wilderness Alliance
Posted October 4, 2025- Wisconsin Lakes and the Last Wilderness Alliance are calling for urgent state action to halt the spread of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) via the ballast systems found in wake boats.
The latest news Stop spreading AIS via Wake Boat Ballast from the Last Wilderness Alliance (LWA) is asking for Wisconsin residents to contact their legislators regarding Hot Water Flushing of wake boat ballasts.
It has been determined that flushing ballast tanks with 120-degree water eliminates invasive species, which in turn prevents the spread of AIS from lake to lake. LWA supports the latest regulation proposal.
"Proposed Regulation
The boating industry and lake advocates agree on this hot water flushing solution, representing a point of "common ground." The decontamination protocol and equipment already exist.
1. All recreational boats with ballast systems must be flushed with hot water (120 degrees or greater) before being launched into a different Wisconsin lake.
2. All flushing certifications would be required annually, with a new certificate required at the start of each boating season. This annual requirement would also prevent ballast tank antifreeze from being discharged into a lake after winter storage.
3. If a boat is used on only one lake all year, it would only require cleaning once per year.
This prevention measure is considered a reasonable, common-sense approach."
Also importantly, LWA recommends that a prevention program such as this should not be funded by the taxpayers.
"The cost of this prevention program should not fall on taxpayers. Instead, the industry and wake boat owners should cover the funding. The industry should have originally designed ballasted boats to drain completely and allow easy cleaning to comply with existing state law, but it did not."
Industry should cover funding for the program? Imagine that!
Last Wilderness Alliance Call to Action: Please contact your legislators and urge them to require mandatory hot water ballast flushing for the 2026 boating season.
Posted October 5, 2025- Knowles Nelson Program (KNP) funding at stake while legislators present very different bills.
In an OCCWA July 3rd article penned by Beckie Gaskill, she stated why the funding for KNP is at serious risk.
"Despite bipartisan roots and overwhelming public support, it’s been tied up in legislative gridlock for years — hamstrung by red tape, political games, and repeated attempts to raid or restrict its funding. Now, in 2025, there’s a glimmer of hope in the form of new stand-alone legislation aimed at protecting and fully funding the program. But it won’t get far without a serious show of support from the people who use and love the land."
Four months later some progress has been made. Two separate Bills, (see photo) one Republic led and one Democratic led are being considered. The only thing that the two Bills have in common is that they address funding the Knowles Nelson Program. After that the veer off into very different directions.
Despite those differences, Team Knowles Nelson is hopeful for compromise. In an August 27 article New Bill, New Path for Knowles-Nelson Compromise – Knowles Nelson Stewardship they shared their hopes in the excerpt:
"We applaud the hard work of Senators Habush Sinykin and Testin and Representatives Kurtz and Miresse to lead their caucuses in the effort to craft a compromise that legislators and the Governor can all support. What now lies ahead is blending these proposals in a way that stays true to the soul of Knowles-Nelson while navigating the fraught terrain of split government.
Sen. Testin responded to the newly introduced legislation in a statement saying, “I am glad to see that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have an interest in reforming and reauthorizing the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. I look forward to reviewing the legislative proposal brought forward by my Democrat colleagues to see where we can work together and find common ground.”
Locally, Oneida County's Senator Mary Felzkowski has been quite critical of KNP and has demonstrated that with her attempts to block the Pelican River Forest in Oneida County several years back. In a recent Wisconsin Examiner article Wisconsin Democrats introduce proposal to save Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program • Wisconsin Examiner Senator Felzkowski was quoted:
"Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk), one of the program’s strongest critics, has suggested she’d support re-authorizing the program if it included provisions that capped the amount of government-owned land in a county or allowed counties to sell off existing conservation land."
The Senators position of selling off public land (conservation land) is concerning. In fact, that very same idea at the Federal level recently has been met with much public consternation.
What still rings true from Becki Gaskill's above referenced article is that funding for the Knowles Nelson Program will not get far without a serious show of support from the people who use and love the land. With that in mind, please consider sending a message to Governor Evers, Senator Felzkowsi, and your local state representative to continue to fund the Knowles Nelson Program.
What can you do?
It’s now time to get in touch with your legislators again and urge them to get to work crafting a Knowles-Nelson compromise that works for Wisconsin. Take action today and ask legislators to stay true to these priorities when negotiating a Stewardship reauthorization:
- Fund both land acquisition and land management.
- Create an oversight structure that: encourages constructive dialog; brings stakeholders, legislators, and agency professionals together; and that follows a clear, time-limited process for reviewing and voting on major grants.
- Supports our growing outdoor recreation economy by investing in the infrastructure we need to get out and enjoy all the places that make Wisconsin special.
In literally takes minutes for you to easily send your position on supporting Knowles Nelson with the link provided below.
The Knowles Nelson Take Action link
Take Action – Knowles Nelson Stewardship
