La Crosse area communities to share part of $400 million in Wisconsin water quality funding

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ office is providing funding to 106 municipalities to improve water quality.

The amount adds up to $402 million, which communities can use to replace old pipes or install treatment systems to eliminate PFAS “forever chemicals” from water supplies.

The money comes from a combination of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Safe Drinking Water Loan Program and the $1 trillion infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed into law in 2021.

PFAS are man-made chemicals that don’t break down easily in nature. They’re present in a range of products, including cookware, firefighting foam and stain-resistant clothing. They have been linked to low birth weight, cancer and liver disease, and have been shown to reduce vaccines’ effectiveness.

The Town of Campbell on French Island is among the area communities that have requested funding, because of PFAS in private wells that have forced residents to used bottled water for over two years now.

A $1.3 million grant will help La Farge replace water mains. Another $182,000 is going to Viroqua.

Some of the largest grants will go to Milwaukee and Wausau.