In 2017, the Rock County Board of Supervisors established a Rock County Nitrate Work Group tasked with collecting data on groundwater nitrates and evaluating methods to address too high levels of nitrates in many Rock County drinking water wells.  This work group is comprised of 12 members from the agricultural community, County Board Supervisors, and the Rock County Public Health Department, Planning Department, and Land Conservation Departments.  

The following are some of the efforts that are happening in Rock County to address the nitrate issue and attempt to reduce nitrates and potential health impacts.

• Rock County Farm Demonstration Project.   Agricultural nitrate best management practices are being implemented on the crop acreage at the County Farm to evaluate the potential to reduce nitrate leaching.   Groundwater monitoring wells were installed and and tested monthly.  Three public wells adjacent to the farm also also being tested monthly.
• Nitrate testing and Mitigation Funding.  The Rock County Board of Supervisors has authorized funding for testing nitrates in wells of individuals most at risk to health impacts.  Funding was also established to provide treatment systems for private wells with the very highest nitrate levels, especially those wells where consumers are at highest risk.
• Producer-Led Watershed Protection Group.   A farmer-led group received fund from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture to assist local growers in establishing and evaluating nitrate friendly agricultural practices.  funding will also be used to test agricultural wells for nitrates.
• Discovery Farms Nitrate Project.   Discovery Farms is implementing a field scale research project that will install equipment in farm field that can measure rates of nitrate leaching and compare leaching rates on fields with 'normal' farming practices to fields with practices implemented to reduce nitrate leaching.
• National Water Quality Initiative Grant.   A planning grant is evaluating key watersheds in Rock County with a special emphasis on nitrate groundwater impacts.  This planning grant is laying a foundation for potential additional federal grants to assist local farmers in implementing nitrate friendly practices.
• Nitrate Risk Tool.   The Rock County Public Health Department worked with students from UW-Whitewater to establish a Rock County Nitrate Risk Tool.  This interactive mapping tool utilizes land use, crop history, irrigation data, septic system data and soil properties to estimate the relative potential for nitrate leaching anywhere in Rock County.