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Speaking for Water

Susan Connor, local resident and business owner, is speaking out about the issue of manure runoff and how it affects water resources in one of a series of TV commercials hitting the airwaves this month.

“I found my dream home on Lake Michigan and established a successful business here, The Flying Pig Gallery & Greenspace,” says Connor. “The manure contamination is affecting tourism, which hurts my business. I won’t even let my dog swim in Lake Michigan. All this manure is more than our aquifer can handle, and everyone is at risk.”

There are more than 75,000 head of livestock in Kewaunee County, more than triple the number of people. Dairy animals alone produce nearly one and a half million tons of manure annually, and nearly a third of the county’s wells have tested as contaminated.

The TV spots in which Connor appears to talk about manure runoff are part of a broader statewide campaign launched by the River Alliance of Wisconsin encouraging local citizens to learn about and take action on key issues affecting Wisconsin’s groundwater, lakes, rivers and wetlands.

“Water is vital to the economic, cultural and environmental health of Wisconsin and to the health and well-being of our citizens,” says Denny Caneff, executive director of the River Alliance. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to make their voices heard in a way that’s positive and proactive, and that’s the spirit in which we launched the Wish for Water campaign. Susan Connor is a compassionate water defender whose voice should be heard.”

In addition to the series of four TV commercials airing over the next few weeks – featuring Connor and three other women from around the state who are advocating for safe, clean water in their communities – a new Wish for Water website serves as a clearinghouse for information and citizen action. The site includes videos of each of the TV commercials as well as more detailed explanations about manure runoff and three other issues currently impacting the state’s water resources: groundwater contamination and depletion, iron mining and frac sand mining. Also included is a guide that shows how Wisconsin’s elected officials have voted on issues that impact water resources.

“We want to hear what regular citizens wish for the future of our precious water resources in Wisconsin,” says Caneff. “Is it clean drinking water, free from manure runoff or the contaminants produced by mining? Is it safe beaches for kids to run and play? Is it rivers and streams free from the danger of running dry? Is it an open and transparent political process?”

Those who would like to make a Wish for Water are encouraged to visit wisconsinrivers.org/wish4waterwi, and to connect on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #wish4waterWI.