Anniversary Story: "Solving Problems as a Unit" by Arnold Mancl

Solving Problems as a Unit

By Arnold Mancl, Milladore Area Groundwater Guardians, Milladore, Wisconsin

The Milladore, Wisconsin Area Groundwater Guardian Program had its first meeting on March 3, 2003. The program consists of the Village of Milladore, Town of Milladore, and Town of Eau Pleine. The Village of Milladore is located in central Wisconsin, (Wood County), population of 246. The cities of Wausau to the north, Marshfield to the west, Stevens Point to the east, and Wisconsin Rapids to the south gives us a well-rounded group of surrounding larger cities.

During the early 1990s, the Village experienced the horror of benzene in some residents’ wells. The contamination was mostly in the wells of the residents who lived south of the railroad tracks that split the Village. The contamination came from two gas stations that no longer existed and the railroad. As a result, the Village pursued a source of good water for residents and was required to construct a municipal water system. A grant was provided for construction of the water system, and it became operational in December of 1995.

In December of 2002, my son Brian, who was a senior at Stevens Point Pacelli High School, attended an ecology class for high school students at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. He picked up information on the Groundwater Guardian Program, and shared it with me. I thought it would be a good program for our Village to look into, so I brought it up to the Village Board at the next meeting. The response was favorable, so I took charge to run it.

Because the wells for the Village are out of the Village’s jurisdiction (located in the Town of Milladore and bordered by The Town of Eau Pleine), I thought it would be good to involve them. Each Town Chairman was contacted and they were all in favor of it. We now had the ability to work closer together on any issues that came up and solve them as a unit.

Since then we have given presentations to local grade schools and 4-H groups on the importance of groundwater and protecting it. We’ve also helped some residents with well abandonment by securing 70% funding assistance from County Land Conservation. We have also been involved with the Clean Sweep and pharmaceutical collection programs with the Marshfield Area Groundwater Guardians.

We congratulate you for 30 years, and we plan to continue our participation in this great program.

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13 Weeks Until the 2015 Groundwater Foundation National Conference and 30th Anniversary Celebration!

30th Anniversary Story Teller Sponsor
Marshfield Utilities

30th Anniversary Story Teller Supporter
National Ground Water Association