NR 140.05(14m)(14m) “Natural attenuation” means the reduction in the concentration and mass of a substance and its breakdown products in groundwater, due to naturally occurring physical, chemical, and biological processes without human intervention or enhancement. These processes include, but are not limited to, dispersion, diffusion, sorption and retardation, and degradation processes such as biodegradation, abiotic degradation and radioactive decay.

NR 140.05(15)(15) “Point of standards application” means the specific location, depth or distance from a facility, activity or practice at which the concentration of a substance in groundwater is measured for purposes of determining whether a preventive action limit or an enforcement standard has been attained or exceeded.

NR 140.05(17)(17) “Preventive action limit” means a numerical value expressing the concentration of a substance in groundwater which is adopted under s. 160.15, Stats., and s. NR 140.10, 140.12 or 140.20.

NR 140.05(18)(18) “Property boundary” means the boundary of the total contiguous parcel of land owned or leased by a common owner or lessor, regardless of whether public or private roads run through the parcel.

NR 140.05(19)(19) “Registered laboratory” means a laboratory which is registered under s. 299.11 (8), Stats., or receives reciprocal recognition under s. 299.11 (5), Stats.

NR 140.05(20)(20) “Regulatory agency” means the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection, the department of safety and professional services, the department of transportation, the department of natural resources and other state agencies which regulate activities, facilities or practices which are related to substances which have been detected in or have reasonable probability of entering the groundwater resources of the state.

NR 140.05(20h)(20h) “Remedial action” means a response which is taken to achieve compliance with groundwater quality standards established under this chapter. This term includes, but is not limited to, actions designed to prevent or minimize the further discharge or release of substances to groundwater and actions designed to renovate or restore groundwater quality.

NR 140.05(20k)(20k) “Remedial material” means any solid, liquid, semi-solid or gaseous material, either naturally occurring or manmade, in its original form or as a metabolite or degradation product, or naturally occurring non-pathogenic biological organisms which have not undergone human induced genetic alteration, which enhances the restoration of soil or groundwater quality, or both.

NR 140.05(20m)(20m) “Response” means any action taken to respond to an attainment or exceedance of a preventive action limit or enforcement standard as required by s. NR 140.24 or 140.26.

NR 140.05(21)(21) “Substance” means any solid, liquid, semisolid, dissolved solid or gaseous material, naturally occurring or man-made chemical, parameter for measurement of water quality or biological organism which, in its original form, or as a metabolite or a degradation or waste product, may decrease the quality of groundwater.

NR 140.05(22)(22) “Wastewater and sludge storage or treatment lagoon” means a natural or man-made containment structure, constructed primarily of earthen materials for the treatment or storage of wastewater or sludge, which is not a land disposal system.

NR 140.05 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, September, 1985, No. 357, eff. 10-1-85; cr. (1m), am. (7), (17) and (18), Register, October, 1988, No. 394, eff. 11-1-88; am. (6), cr. (20h) and (20m), Register, March, 1994, No. 459, eff. 4-1-94; cr. (1s), (10e), (10s), (20k), r. and recr. (12), (13), Register, August, 1995, No. 476, eff. 9-1-95; cr. (14m), Register, October, 1996, No. 490, eff. 11-1-96; am. (20), Register, December, 1998, No. 516, eff. 1-1-99; correction in (9) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, April, 2001, No. 544; CR 02-134: cr. (1u), (1w), (1y) and (20s) Register June 2003 No. 570, eff. 7-1-03; correction in (20) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., Stats., Register January 2012 No. 673.

NR 140.10NR 140.10 Public health related groundwater standards. The groundwater quality standards for substances of public health concern are listed in Table 1.

NR 140.10 NoteNote: For all substances that have carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic properties or interactive effects, the preventive action limit is 10% of the enforcement standard. The preventive action limit is 20% of the enforcement standard for all other substances that are of public health concern. Enforcement standards and preventive action limits for additional substances will be added to Table I as recommendations are developed pursuant to ss. 160.07, 160.13 and 160.15, Stats.

NR 140.10 NoteNote: Consistent with the Department of Health Services’ recommendation for the NR 140 ammonia standard, the department will use total ammonia, which is the sum of ionized ammonia and un-ionized ammonia in groundwater, in applying groundwater ammonia standards.

NR 140.10 NoteNote: Acronyms in common use for oxanilic acid (for the pesticide metabolites acetochlor oxanilic acid and metolachlor oxanilic acid in Table 1 above) include both “OA” and “OXA.”

NR 140.10 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, September, 1985, No. 357, eff. 10-1-85; am. table 1, Register, October, 1988, No. 394, eff. 11-1-88; am. table 1, Register, September, 1990, No. 417, eff. 10-1-90; am. Register, January, 1992, No. 433, eff. 2-1-92; am. Table 1, Register, March, 1994, No. 459, eff. 4-1-94; am. Table 1, Register, August, 1995, No. 476, eff. 9-1-95; am. Table 1, Register, December, 1998, No. 516, eff. 1-1-99; am. Table 1, boron, Register, December, 1998, No. 516, eff. 12-31-99; am. Table 1, Register, March, 2000, No. 531, eff. 4-1-00; CR 03-063: am Table 1, Register February 2004 No. 578, eff. 3-1-04; CR 02-095: am. Table 1, Register November 2006 No. 611, eff. 12-1-06; reprinted to correct errors in Table 1, Register January 2007 No. 613; CR 07-034: am. Table 1 Register January 2008 No. 625, eff. 2-1-08; CR 09-102: am. Table 1 Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11; CR 22-061: am. Table 1 Register July 2023 No. 811, eff. 8-1-23.

NR 140.12NR 140.12 Public welfare related groundwater standards. The groundwater quality standards for substances of public welfare concern are listed in Table 2.

NR 140.12 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, September, 1985, No. 357, eff. 10-1-85; am. table 2, Register, October, 1990, No. 418, eff. 11-1-90; am. Table 2, Register, March, 1994, No. 459, eff. 4-1-94.

NR 140.14(1)(1) If a preventive action limit or an enforcement standard for a substance listed in Table 1 or 2, an alternative concentration limit issued in accordance with s. NR 140.28 or a preventive action limit for an indicator parameter established according to s. NR 140.20 (2) is attained or exceeded at a point of standards application: