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Study May Ease Water Fears; Eagle Village Wells Will Have Little Impact, Research Says

Posted on: Friday, 3 March 2006, 15:00 CST

By DARRYL ENRIQUEZ

Town of Eagle State research of local groundwater flow shows that two controversial high-capacity wells that the Village of Eagle drilled here for fresh drinking water should have little effect on nearby watersheds or private wells, Town Chairman Todd Gillette said Thursday.

The village drilled the wells a few years ago, west of its borders, to replace its existing water supply that was contaminated with radium, a cancer-causing agent produced from deep radioactive rocks.

The village and dozens of other water utilities statewide are under state and federal orders to bring their water supplies up to federal safety standards for radium this year.

The two wells led to an outcry from town residents and officials, who feared they would disturb the groundwater flow that feeds Lulu and Eagle Springs lakes and the Mukwonago River watershed. The uproar created a failed referendum to dissolve the village, after which long-time Town Chairman Don Wilton was ousted from office.

The two communities are still experiencing hard feelings over that incident, Gillette said.

But the groundwater study holds the potential to ease town and village residents' concerns because of the forecast of a minor impact on the watershed, he said.

Ken Bradbury, a hydrologist from the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, and Michael Hahn of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission presented the research report to the Town Board this week.

The report says that if current pumping levels remain constant, the wells would "slightly reduce the volume of groundwater moving toward the Upper Mukwonago River watershed.

"Based on model results, the greatest flow reduction in the channel just above Lulu Lake (which empties into Eagle Springs Lake) will be about 3 percent, and overall reduction in flow to the north side of the Mukwonago valley will be about 2 percent."

The study continues, "Model results suggest that village well pumping has little or no impact on the levels of Lulu or Eagle Springs lakes."

The study also shows that pumping activity will affect private wells near the village wells. The village has a program to assist residents who would be affected.

Water levels will decline from 5 feet near the village well to 1 foot about 1.5 miles from the well, the report says.

Gillette said that much of the water taken from the shallow aquifer is being returned to the aquifer because village residents have mound septic systems, not sewage treatment plants, to purify human waste.

Copyright 2006, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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