MULDOON, MAUREEN - Wisconsin Geological And Natural History Survey
Citation: Burch, T.R., Stokdyk, J.P., Spencer, S.K., Kieke, B.A., Firnstahl, A.D., Muldoon, M.A., Borchardt, M.A. 2021. Quantitative microbial risk assessment for contaminated private wells in the fractured dolomite aquifer of Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. Environmental Health Perspectives. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP7815.
Interpretive Summary: As in many other areas of the nation, private wells in Kewaunee County are an important source of drinking water, and they are vulnerable to contamination by fecal waste from livestock (associated with intensifying livestock production in the region) and humans (associated with exurban housing developments). This fecal waste carries pathogenic microorganisms that can cause acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) when consumed in water, but the extent of AGI cases caused by drinking water from contaminated private wells in Kewaunee County is currently unknown. This study used quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and a county-wide pathogen occurrence study to predict the number of AGI cases per year in the county due to contaminated private wells. The results suggest that several hundred AGI cases per year are caused by consuming contaminated private well water in Kewaunee County, and that more than half of these cases are potentially associated with bovine fecal material in contaminated wells. Furthermore, results are useful for prioritizing potential policy interventions in Kewaunee County and are also informative with regard to the impact of livestock agriculture on water resources in other similar areas of the nation.