Year of clean drinking water
Governor Tony Evers’ declaration that 2019 be the Year of Clean Drinking Water is a great step toward finally addressing the crisis facing many Wisconsinites. Solutions take time, but, thanks to Governor Evers, we are finally in a position to ensure no more environmentally detrimental policies pass and we can be proactive in protecting our waters.
In every corner of the state, the message from the people of Wisconsin has been consistent: Wisconsin must do more to reduce or eliminate groundwater contamination, reduce runoff into navigable waters and address the dangerous sources of contamination, like lead pipes and products containing PFAS, nitrates/nitrites, viruses and bacteria.
I currently serve on the Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality. Since March, the Task Force has traveled to 13 different cities across the state, listening to citizens, scientists and industry representatives about ways to improve the quality of Wisconsin’s water.
Governor Evers’ budget addressed many of these issues, most of which were cut or reduced by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Hopefully, many of these initiatives and funding will be restored as a result of the work by the task force.
As the schedule for the task force draws to a close, I look forward to working with my colleagues on the task force to introduce meaningful legislation that will actually address the concerns raised during the public hearings and help make 2019 truly the Year of Clean Drinking Water.
