There’s no federal requirement that municipalities have to disinfect the groundwater pumped into kitchen sinks, bathtubs or watering cans. Though groundwater is traditionally believed to be clean, Wisconsin scientists found that viruses can get into deep wells and make people sick.
Viruses can be transmitted through unfiltered groundwater. Photo: Merrick Brown (flickr)
“We’ve repeatedly sampled a number of wells in Madison for viruses, and found them quite frequently,” said Ken Bradbury, hydrogeologist for the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.
Bradbury began studying how pathogens, or germs, travel through layers of rock to get into either deep wells or aquifers. He sampled three wells in Madison, Wisc., eight years ago and found viruses in two of them. Bradbury thought he had made a mistake, but a repeat experiment produced the same results.
Since the original three wells, Bradbury has repeatedly sampled about 15 different wells in Madison. He’s never found one totally virus-free.
The viruses in the wells are the same ones that live in the human digestive tract, which means they’re infectious and could cause disease.
“They’re the same sort that would cause everyone on a cruise ship to get sick,” Bradbury said.
Residents of Madison don’t need to worry. The city chlorinates its drinking water, which Bradbury said de-activates viruses. But some communities don’t.
