Spills
Report
spill incidents immediately to 1-800-943-0003.
Spill information
Well water
Contact information
Town of Jackson gasoline spill hotline:
866-220-4841 (24-hour)
For information on drinking water issues, contact:
Stephen Ales
Section chief
Private Water Supply
608-267-7649
For information on cleanup activities, contact:
Scott Ferguson
Spills coordinator
Remediation & Redevelpoment
414-263-8685
For health information or concerns, contact:
Wis. Department of Health Services
608-267-6844
Washington County Health Department
262-335-4462 (press 3)

Town of Jackson pipeline spill (Washington County)

On July 17, 2012, a gasoline spill from a petroleum product pipeline occurred in the town of Jackson in Washington County. Approximately 55,000 gallons spilled, and water samples from private wells located near the spill have detected gasoline compounds above health advisory levels.

If you live in the town of Jackson and smell gasoline in your water:

  • stop using your water immediately; and
  • call West Shore Pipeline at 832-325-1617.

If you aren't sure if you're part of the advisory, please view the map on page two of the DNR's August 3 advisory [PDF]. Note: Due to Homeland Security concerns the department does not list specific locations of wells on its website.

Newsletter

Updates and news

Date Update details
May 01, 2013 Pipeline spill update [PDF] - This update includes the DNR's response to the Town Board's decision for a long term water supply solution.
March 31, 2013 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
March 26, 2013 DNR letter to West Shore Pipeline regarding long term water supply solution [PDF]
March 20, 2013 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
February 8, 2013 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
January 25, 2013 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
December 21, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
November 30, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
November 9, 2012 Notice of Town Board Action [PDF]
November 9, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
October 26, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
October 12, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
October 5, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF] - This week's update is comprised of a report on monitoring and a summary of health standards.
September 28, 2012 Modification of Drinking Water Health Advisory Area in Town of Jackson
September 21, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
September 18, 2012

The Wisconsin DNR will host a public information meeting on the spill cleanup, site monitoring and a long-term water supply solution related to a gasoline spill from a petroleum product pipeline that occured July 17 in the Town of Jackson.

Where: Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, 3399 Division Road, Jackson

When: Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 7:30PM
September 14, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
September 7, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
September 4, 2012 The DNR has established a Town of Jackson gas spill hotline. By dialing 866-220-4841, the public can get updates on the status of the spill and leave questions for DNR staff. The hotline will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls received during the five-day work week will be returned within 24 hours. Calls received over the weekend will be returned the following Monday.
August 31, 2012 The DNR has lifted the "Flush Only Drinking Water Advisory" for 50 Town of Jackson private well owners, restoring the use of water for non-consumptive uses for all but one of the homes most directly affected by the July 17th gasoline pipeline rupture. Read more in the August 31, 2012 pipeline spill update [PDF] and newsletter [PDF].
August 24, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
August 20, 2012

The Town of Jackson Board met on Saturday, August 18, 2012, to review the information received related to the DNR "General Permit to Discharge Under the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System," specifically the discharge of wastewater from West Shore Pipe Line's remedial operations at the site in the Town of Jackson. The Town Board voted in support of the DNR permit as presented to the Town, but stipulated that the following items be added to the requirements.

  1. There will be three consecutive tests done to ensure the water being discharged has been "cleaned" prior to discharging onto the ground.
  2. The Mill Road culvert that moves the water between the two drainage ditches being used will be lined with a plastic liner to prevent/minimize damage from continuous flow or standing water.
  3. West Shore will promptly address any future town right of way issues directly related to the project, such as erosion, ditch flow or culvert deterioration, to Town specifications.

The permit was issued on Sunday, August 19, so that the work of laying the discharge pipe can begin in the Town right-of-way.

The DNR now has permission to pump and treat groundwater from the Jackson spill site and discharge the treated water (via the approved WPDES permit).

For more information, please contact Eric Nitschke, Southeast Regional Director, 414-263-8570.
August 13, 2012

On Friday, August 10, the DNR received laboratory results showing detection of Benzene over state health standards in two wells that previously had no impacts. These two properties are located to the east of the Flush Only Advisory Area. The department has issued Flush-only Drinking Water Health Advisories for each property and notifed both homeowners about the contamination. Both houses have Point-of-Entry Water Treatment (POET) systems installed.

In addition, there will be fencing installed for construction purposes at two other properties affected by the contamination. Under the state administrative code NR 700, Wis. Adm. Code, fencing is often installed at cleanup sites to protect public safety.
August 10, 2012 Pipeline spill update [PDF]
August 9, 2012 News release: DNR announces new Web page for public to learn status of Town of Jackson gasoline cleanup [PDF]

Documents & maps

DNR reports
Environmental consultant reports
Maps

Drinking water advisory

Drinking water advisory issued as a precaution

The DNR, working with state and local health departments, has issued an Areawide Drinking Water and Flush Only advisory as a precaution because of the contamination of some wells. All private well owners in the advisory area should use bottled water or water from a known safe source for drinking, cooking and food preparation. Residents in a smaller "Flush Only" area should limit well water use only to flushing their toilets. NOTICE: FLUSH ONLY ADVISORY LIFTED AS OF AUG 30, 2012

If you aren't sure if you're part of the advisory, please view the map on page two of the DNR's August 3 advisory [PDF].

Read more information about the advisory [PDF] from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Information for homeowners

  • Private well owners in this area should use bottled water, or water from a known safe source for drinking, cooking and food preparation.
  • The boundaries of this areawide advisory were selected to be precautionary. Not all the homes in this area have wells that have been impacted by the spill. Areas within this boundary that may be served by water from the village of Jackson municipal system are not subject to this advisory.
  • Within this Areawide Drinking Water Advisory, the Department of Natural Resources also is issuing a Flush Only Advisory for the following area: NOTICE: FLUSH ONLY ADVISORY LIFTED AS OF AUG 30, 2012

    • subdivision along Wildflower Lane to the north of Mill Road; and,
    • subdivision along Mockingbird and Hummingbird Drives south of Western Avenue, and generally bounded between these two subdivisions in an east-west direction.
    • Homes in this area should use their water only for flushing toilets. This means no skin contact, no laundry, no bathing and no lawn or garden watering. People in the Flush Only Advisory area will be contacted by West Shore Pipeline Company or the Department of Natural Resources.
  • Water sample results are reviewed daily by DNR staff to determine if the advisory boundaries need to be adjusted. Please note: well data will change as more information is collected.

DNR response

After the spill was detected, DNR staff responded and worked to contain the spill and address the contaminated wells. Agency drinking and groundwater staff developed a list of wells to be sampled. On July 31, 2012, the DNR issued an Areawide Drinking Water and Flush Only Advisory. The area included in this Drinking Water Advisory is bounded by the following roads.

  • Western Boundary – Jackson Road
  • South Boundary – Spring Valley Road
  • East Boundary – Center Road
  • North Boundary – Sherman Road

On August 3, the department sent out an advisory [PDF] to 256 residents with information about the progress of the investigation.

Who to contact

People in the Areawide Drinking Water Advisory should contact the following individuals to make arrangements for bottled water.

  • Sharon Guillory, West Shore Pipeline Company, 832-325-1617
  • Scott Ferguson, DNR at 414-263-8685
  • Zoe McManama, DNR at 262-496-5180

Well testing/cleanup

Well testing and cleanup

West Shore Pipeline is responsible for sampling private wells. As of September 18, 2012, a total of 298 discrete water supply wells at 286 residences have been sampled. Benzene has been detected in 24 wells and the DNR has issued 19 private well-specific health advisory letters for the wells having benzene levels above health standards. In the last sampling event, 11 private wells had a detection of petroleum compounds above a health standard and two wells had a detection of petroleum compounds below the health standard. Two wells had detections of Toluene but were below detection levels upon resampling. In total, 26 private wells have had detects of petroleum impacts from the spill.

A sampling plan and schedule for the advisory area was implemented at the beginning of the week of August 18, 2012. Although the flush only advisory has been lifted, the sampling plan and schedule for the area wide drinking water advisory has not changed.

As of August 22, 2012, 70 "Point of Entry" water systems have been installed (with additional systems available should conditions warrant), and post-installation sampling is ongoing. Groundwater monitoring wells have also been installed around the perimeter of the pipeline spill.

Excavation of the petroleum impacted soil has been completed and has been properly disposed of off-site. After weeks of continuous air monitoring around the perimeter of the work zone and no detects, air monitoring has been discontinued. The work zone area is now fenced in.

Next steps

The DNR continues to work with officials from the Town of Jackson, Village of Jackson and West Shore Pipeline to establish proposed alternatives for a long-term water supply solution for the impacted homes. The Town of Jackson is looking into holding a closed session meeting to discuss alternatives for long term water supply solution, and a follow up meeting with DNR, the town, the village and West Shore will occur after the town has a chance to meet in closed session.

As of August 10, 2012, DNR staff are working on developing a sampling/resampling plan, which will be made available on this Web page and on the company's spill website [exit DNR].

Claims

Claims with West Shore Pipeline

West Shore Pipeline has created a claims telephone line. Anyone that is affected and has what they believe is a claim against the company should call 866-837-5016.

The company has also established a claims center, located at the Comfort Inn & Suites, Highway 60, in the village of Jackson.

You can also visit the company's spill website [exit DNR] for more information.

Last revised: Friday May 03 2013