Department of Administration Recommendation 10—Water Utility Program
- Governor Evers recommended the creation of a Water Utility Assistance program to help customers cover the cost of water and wastewater bills, and additionally recommended providing position authority and the associated funding to support the program (see Public Service Commission, item 15). This will cost over $10 million in its first year and over $13.5 million in its second year.
Department of Administration—PFAS (Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances) Related Items
- Governor Evers’ budget recommended the allocation of $1.6 million from 2021-2023 to create 10 permanent full-time equivalent positions at the DNR to implement Evers’ PFAS Action Plan. He also recommended the provision of an additional $2.1 million for PFAS monitoring and testing, and $10 million for grants to test at local units for government. Additionally, $1 million to fund the collection and disposal of PFAS firefighting foam.
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Recommendation 16—Water Resource Management Aids
- The Governor recommended a $7 million SEG-supported general obligation bonds to counties that choose to implement land and water resource management plans, including cost-share grants to landowners.
Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Recommendation 17—Producer led Watershed Grant Program
- The Governor recommended increasing expenditure authority for producer-led watershed grants, including increasing the amount the department may allocate for producer-led watershed grants to $1,000,000 each year.
Environmental Improvement Program – Program 1: Clean Water Fund Program Operations
- This program looks to protect the water quality of our surface water and ground waters by funding municipal wastewater collection and treatment facilities and asking communities to undertake needed surface water and ground water construction projects within a certain timeframe. For the next year the assistance amount agreed to is $225 million and for the following year it is an additional $225 million. The Governor recommended an additional assistance of $12,245.50 for Fiscal Year ’22 and $10,072.30 for Fiscal Year ’23.
- The Governor also recommended an additional $385 million in revenue bonds to fund the state match requirements and additional loans in the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program and the Clean Water Fund Program.
Department of Natural Resources—Recommendation 27 Waterway and Wetland Permit Database
- The Governor recommended providing one-time funding for the creation of a new waterway and wetland permit database. The amount he recommended for FY22 was $220,000 and an additional $220,000 for FY23.
Department of Natural Resources—Recommendation 38: Contaminated Sediment Bonding
- The Governor recommended spending $25 million for contaminated sediment removal from sites in the Great Lakes or its tributaries that are on Wisconsin’s impaired waters list.
Public Service Commission—Program 16: Initiatives to Support Water Utilities
- The Governor recommended funding to establish a water loss control training program for water utilities serving populations of 3,300 or more residents. The Governor also recommended providing funding and position authority to modernize the commission’s water utility reporting database and to support an enhanced water utility data reporting compliance review program. This recommendation was for $1,342,200 for 2022 and $1,134,300 for 2023.
University of Wisconsin System—Recommendation 7- Freshwater Collaborative
- The Governor recommended providing funding for a freshwater collaborative at the University of Wisconsin System to provide student support and scholarships, and to recruit faculty and staff to advance water-centric training, research and innovation. This will cost $3,000,000 for Fiscal Year 2022 and $6,000,000 for Fiscal Year 2023.