Governor signs bill aiding Morrison residents

March 7, 2006
Appleton Post Crescent

GREEN BAY — Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill Monday intended to provide state money for Morrison residents with bacteria-contaminated wells.

The new law makes state money available — for the first time — in cases where a high percentage of wells in a certain area are contaminated by bacteria from livestock runoff.

"This legislation uses existing resources to ensure that Wisconsin residents have one of their most basic needs met — safe drinking water," Doyle said.

The bill was rushed through the Legislature last week in response to a rash of contaminated wells in the Town of Morrison in southern Brown County.

The last count of contaminated well-water samples from Morrison was 67 in the last month. Most of the bad wells are in Wayside, about 25 miles east of Appleton.
The entire town has been under a state boil water order since Feb. 14.

Todd Ambs, a state Department of Natural Resources water division administrator, said the state intends to declare parts of Morrison a "special eligibility" area, but staff members are still working on the exact boundaries.