Protecting Wisconsin's Groundwater Through Comprehensive Planning
Image of checksLearn more about groundwaterIntegrate groundwater into your planFind data and polices in your areaBrowse for resourcesChecks



 Find data and policies in your area
  Waupaca County
  This report provides the most current information and data found, as of May 2007, unless otherwise noted.
   
  Waupaca County groundwater findings reports Waupaca County full report Switch to Waupaca County full report
 

SOURCES OF DRINKING WATER

  • Wisconsin has nearly 11,500 public water systems which meet the daily water needs of about 4 million people. Public water systems that are owned by a community are called municipal water systems. Waupaca County has 9 municipal water systems.  Table showing water systems in Waupaca County
 

GROUNDWATER PROTECTION POLICIES   Table showing water systems in Waupaca County

  • 7 of 9 municipal water systems in Waupaca County have a wellhead protection plan: Clintonville, Embarrass, Iola, Manawa, New London, Waupaca and Weyauwega.
  • 3 of 9 municipal water systems in Waupaca County have a wellhead protection ordinance: Embarrass, Iola and Waupaca.
  • Waupaca County has adopted an animal waste management ordinance.
 

MONEY SPENT ON CLEANUP

  • Over $15 million has been spent on petroleum cleanup in Waupaca County from leaking underground storage tanks, which equates to $286 per county resident.
  • 2 municipal water systems in Waupaca County have spent money to reduce nitrate levels.
 

GROUNDWATER USE   Water use figure

  • From 1979 to 2005, total water use in Waupaca County has increased from about 9.6 million gallons per day to about 19.2 million gallons per day.*
  • The increase in total water use over this period is due to increases in domestic, irrigation, and commercial uses, as well as public use and losses through 2000 with slight decreases by 2005 across all categories except for a rise in industrial use.
  • The proportion of county water use supplied by groundwater has decreased from about 99% to 92% during the period 1979 to 2005.*
  • Water use in Wisconsin is generally estimated for the following categories:
    • Domestic
    • Livestock
    • Aquaculture
    • Irrigation
    • Industrial
    • Commercial
    • Public use and losses
    • Thermoelectric or mining*

* Thermoelectric and mining data are not considered in water-use tables or figures on this web site. Thermoelectric-power water use is the amount of water used in the process of generating thermoelectric power. The predominant use of water is as non-contact cooling water to condense the steam created to turn the turbines and generate electricity.

 

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF GROUNDWATER TO CONTAMINANTS   Susceptibility map

  • Wisconsin has abundant quantities of high-quality groundwater, but once groundwater is contaminated, it's very expensive and often not technically possible to clean.
  • An evaluation of the susceptibility of groundwater to contamination in Waupaca County can be seen in the FULL REPORT or accessed through the map link above.
 

GROUNDWATER QUALITY

  • 84% of 227 private well samples collected in Waupaca County from 1990-2006 met the health-based drinking water limit for nitrate-nitrogen.   Nitrate map
  • A 2002 study estimated that 36% of private drinking water wells in the region of Wisconsin that includes Waupaca County contained a detectable level of an herbicide or herbicide metabolite. Pesticides occur in groundwater more commonly in agricultural regions, but can occur anywhere pesticides are stored or applied.   Statewide pesticide map
  • 6,490 acres of land in Waupaca County are in atrazine prohibition areas. Map showing atrazine prohibition areas in Waupaca County
  • 100% of 30 private well samples collected in Waupaca County met the health standard for arsenic.
 

POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINANTS

  • There are 40 open-status sites in Waupaca County that have contaminated groundwater and/or soil. These sites include 13 Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) sites, 25 Environmental Repair (ERP) sites and 2 spill sites.   BRRTS map
  • There are 2 concentrated animal feeding operations in Waupaca County.
  • There is 1 licensed landfill in Waupaca County.
  • There are no Superfund sites in Waupaca County.

return to top

Waupaca County full report Waupaca County full report
   

For more information about this web site, its contributors, and the data contained herein, click here.

For assistance in comprehensive planning, please contact Lynn Markham, UW-Stevens Point.
For assistance on groundwater, please contact Charles Dunning, USGS.
Page contact: Webmaster, USGS
Page last updated: January 14, 2008