Jugs and bottles of water don't normally fill Brittany Fischer's trunk, but that's what this Muskego mom is now forced to do after bacteria was discovered in her private well.
Fischer's water is unsafe to drink after coliform bacteria was found in her well. While coliform isn't necessarily harmful, its presence can indicate a pathway for more dangerous microorganisms.
"I wouldn't have even thought to get it checked, but your mom gut kicks in and I was like, we should probably get that checked," Fischer said.
It wasn't what the water looked like that tipped off Fischer that something might have been wrong — it was the symptoms that she and her children were experiencing that pointed to contamination.
Watch: Muskego mom warns neighbors after bacteria found in private well water
"We started actually having like, GI symptoms. So I was like, this is a little sketch," Fischer said.
Test results she received this week confirmed presence of the bacteria, which is commonly found in private wells, according to Joe Price, owner of The Water Store in Muskego.
"It's the main thing that we test for is E. coli and coliform bacteria," Price said.
Price said he's been busy over the past few days with concerned residents.
"Non-stop people coming in collecting water sample bottles and concerned about their water quality," Price said.
That's because heavy rainfall and flooding can impact some private wells, Price explained.
"The aquifers will carry up and down," Price said.
That's how Fischer believes her family got sick, and why she's now sharing her message with the community.
"My neighborhood in general is an older community, and I don't want them getting sick," Fischer said.
Fischer hopes others will take her warning seriously as she waits for her water to become safe again.
"Just get your water checked because you don't know what can be in it," Fischer said.
Price advises those with a private well to test at least once a year.
"If it comes up positive for E. coli or coliform bacteria, then we would chlorinate the well, and it's a dose of chlorine and the water. The chlorine solution will sit in there for 24 hours. They flush it out, and then we come back after that chlorine is flushed out and resample," said Price.
The Water Store offers testing kits, filtration devices, and other resources. You can learn more by clicking here: https://thewaterstore.biz/
This story was reported on-air by Mike Beiermeister and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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