La Crosse County, WI (WXOW) – La Crosse County Health Department issued a health advisory on Thursday after dangerous levels of nitrates and bacteria were found in private wells in the Town of Onalaska and the Town of Holland.
La Crosse County Health officials said they found clusters of private wells with contaminated water during annual water testing.
They say the water contamination is the result of bacteria and nitrate build up for over a decade.
Health officials said traces of nitrate are evident in normal drinking water, but some of the groundwater tested in the private wells had dangerously high nitrate levels.
High nitrate levels could cause birth defects and the rare, "Blue Baby Syndrome."
"Municipal water sources are safe," Rombalski said.
"They routinely test and very often monitor their well water quality, and there is no concern at this time about municipal water supplies."
She urges residents in those areas to use bottled water for drinking and cooking, or boil it to kill bacteria.
There is no easy solution to removing these contaminants.
It may be a long-term problem.