Additional funds earmarked for Well Compensation Program

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced that Gov. Tony Evers has invested $10 million toward expanding eligibility for the Well Compensation Program. This expansion could help more than 1,000 private well owners and support replacement, reconstruction, treatment or abandonment of contaminated private wells, according to the agency.

According to the DNR’s outreach flyer, well owners could receive up to $16,000 to replace, reconstruct, treat or abandon a well or water system. 

A full eligibility questionnaire is available from the department. Some of the eligibility criteria include ownership of a private well or non-community water system, and annual family or business income of less than $100,000 per year, a well or water system that is contaminated and the owner has not yet begun work on the well or water system. Applicants will be taken until December 2024.

The full grant announcement, which can be found on the DNR website, outlines all of the program details. The grant announcement, which was issued on October 2, 2022, was amended on February 16, 2023. The amendments include language allowing an applicant to submit fewer test results if a recent DNR or Health Department Services has issued an advisory for that well as well as clarifying requirements for PFAS sampling to make it consistent with other contaminants.

To view the original recording of the American Rescue Plan Act Well Grant Program, which aired on November 10, 2022, or to learn more about the program, visitthe DNR website dnr.wi.gov and input search terms “Well Compensation Grant Program” call 608-577-3583 or email [email protected].