Madison Water Utility Board Comment on the Draft EIS
September 23, 2019
Madison Water Utility Board Comment on the Draft United States Air Force F-35A Operational Beddown National Guard Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pertaining to the 115 Fighter Wing at Truax Field
The Madison Water Utility Board (the Board) is established to direct the outcomes of the Madison Water Utility (MWU) in fulfilling its responsibility to provide safe, affordable and adequate water for drinking, household and business uses, and fire protection to the residents and visitors of MWU’s service area in Dane County.
Of its many duties, the identification, public communication, monitoring and mitigation of drinking water contamination is a primary activity of the Utility. Monitoring and mitigation are both critical and costly activities, affecting both the affordability and adequacy of water for our area.
In the recent months, MWU, the Board and citizens of Madison have been working together to understand, quantify and assess the effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAs, now found in Well 15. The well is located less than a mile from Truax Field, where PFAs chemicals have been detected and reported at high levels in groundwater. In our community, there is considerable concern and demand for action to respond to this risk. The Board is actively engaged in exploring actions and uniting all partners in understanding and plans to protect against a public health threat.