Water Utility

Drivers on University Ave. and Whitney Way may notice some new road signs during their commutes this week. Madison Water Utility and the city’s traffic engineering department have partnered to create "Wellhead Protection Area" signs for the two roadways. A municipal water well sits near the intersection of University and Whitney Way, pumping 800 million gallons of drinking water to homes and businesses every year. But the well has been showing some signs of contamination because of heavy road salt use.

“The whole point is to raise awareness. It’s a daily reminder that we get our drinking water from groundwater, and we are all stewards of that resource,” says MWU water quality manager Joe Grande.
 
The signs are part of Madison Water Utility’s wellhead protection program, which identifies, manages, and protects land areas that contribute groundwater to the city’s drinking water wells. Grande says it’s important for the public to realize that what gets put on the ground – from road salt to fertilizers and pesticides to petroleum products – has the potential to end up in our groundwater and could contaminate our drinking water supply.
 
“We want to let people know that the actions they take towards the environment, both positive and negative, ultimately have an impact on our lives and on our water resources. We don’t always think about groundwater, but we all have a role to play to protect it.”
 
Eventually the signs will be a common sight in Madison. Wellhead Protection Area signage will go up over the next several years near all 22 drinking water wells across the city. MWU chose to begin with the University Ave. well because of increasing concerns over road salt in the area. The utility has joined forces with other agencies and environmental groups to encourage responsible road salt use through the Wisconsin Salt Wise campaign.
 
“It’s a perfect union with our road salt initiatives, where we’re trying to reduce the amount of salt used not just on roadways but on parking lots and sidewalks throughout the city, and we’re really targeting this area in particular,” Grande says.
 
For more information about Madison Water Utility’s Wellhead Protection Program and what you can do to keep our groundwater safe, log on to MadisonWater.org.