A Study of Fecal Indicators and Other Factors Impacting Water Quality in Private Wells in Door County, Wisconsin

Abstract: The primary goal of this study was to obtain the percentage of wells impacted by contaminants based on three indicators studied by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as tools to identify fecal contamination in groundwater. The tests for Escherichia coliform, enterococci, and coliphage were conducted on 25 well sites in Door County, Wisconsin. This study provided insight on the impacts that the EPA Groundwater Rule (GWR) may impose on Door County public drinking water systems. The GWR will require systems that are vulnerable to fecal contamination in their source water to take actions to provide safe water. Actions to correct the problem include obtaining a safe source of water by utilizing an alternative safe water supply or by installing a water treatment system. Either solution to the problem could be costly. A secondary goal of the study was to identify a linkage between well water and illness in individuals consuming the water. The data that was gathered in this study is useful to regulators and lawmakers who are fine-tuning existing drinking water regulations and will implement the Groundwater Rule.