MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers on Feb 6th, delivered the weekly radio address highlighting his efforts to ensure Wisconsinites have access to clean, safe drinking water. Earlier this week, Gov. Evers announced new comprehensive plans from his upcoming 2025-27 Executive Budget to combat per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination statewide, protect kids and families from harmful water contaminants in 2025 the Year of the Kid, and expand access to clean and safe drinking water for Wisconsinites across the state.

This announcement includes a more than $145 million investment to address PFAS contamination across Wisconsin, including providing emergency resources to help provide safe, bottled water to households and communities impacted by water contamination and protecting innocent landowners like farmers who unknowingly spread biosolids containing PFAS on their land from having to foot the bill for the clean up. In addition, the governor also announced he approved a new rulemaking effort to strengthen PFAS standards statewide by adopting public health-based groundwater standards for six PFAS in light of newly available science. More on the governor’s comprehensive plan to clean up Wisconsin’s water and combat PFAS statewide is available here.

Hey there, folks. Governor Tony Evers here.

I declared 2025 the Year of the Kid in Wisconsin, and making sure our kids are healthy—physically and mentally—is a crucial part of improving outcomes in our classrooms.

But we have to connect the dots between school achievement and the challenges our kids are facing at home and in our communities.

Take lack of access to clean and safe drinking water, for example.

Improving water quality and getting harmful contaminants out of our water is an urgent issue that deserves meaningful investments and bipartisan work.

So, I’ve announced several new efforts to combat PFAS and lead, protect kids and families from harmful contaminants, and expand access to safe drinking water.

We’re getting to work by investing over $145 million to address PFAS contamination across Wisconsin and expanding eligibility for key programs aimed at improving water quality.

We’re providing funding for emergency resources like bottled water to households and communities impacted by water contamination and protecting innocent landowners like farmers who unknowingly spread biosolids containing PFAS on their land, and investing in helping clean up that contamination.

I also announced we’re strengthening PFAS standards statewide by adopting public health-based groundwater standards for six PFAS contaminants.

I also approved a rule to strengthen Wisconsin’s lead standards so more kids and families will be eligible for the critical resources they need and announced my next budget is also going to include over $6 million to support lead poisoning intervention and response.

And finally, we’re going to continue our work to help private well owners clean up or replace their contaminated wells.

Folks, every Wisconsinite should be able to trust the water coming out of their tap and have access to safe, clean drinking water no matter where they live in our state.

So, let’s get this done with bipartisan support. Thank you.