Education

Formation of the Great Lakes
About a billion years ago, a fracture in the earth running from what is now Oklahoma to Lake Superior generated volcanic activity that almost split North America. Over a period of 20 million years, lava intermittently flowed from the fracture creating mountains covering the regions now known as northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, and eastern Canada.

Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is a microbial pathogen found in surface water and groundwater under the influence of surface water. Although filtration removes Cryptosporidium, the most commonly used filtration methods cannot guarantee 100 percent removal.

Giardia
Giardia (sometimes known as “Beaver Fever) is a microbial pathogen present in varying concentrations in many surface waters and ground water under the influence of surface water. It is removed/inactivated through a combination of filtration and disinfection or by disinfection.

Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that may cause cancer, and may be found in drinking water and indoor air. Some people who are exposed to radon in drinking water may have increased risk of getting cancer over the course of their lifetime, especially lung cancer.

Zebra/Quagga Mussels
The zebra mussel is a small freshwater shellfish native to the Black & Caspian seas of western Russia. They were introduced into European waters in the 18th Century. By 1986 the mollusks were transported to North America from freshwater European ports, through the discharge of ballast tanks from international shippers.