Atrazine

Stay indoors with the windows closed when any pesticide is being applied near your home.

Wear protective clothing and gloves when using atrazine products and shower or change clothes when done to avoid bringing it into your home.

Public water users

If the level of atrazine in the water is above Wisconsin's drinking water standard, your water system will issue a public notice. The public notice will include information on the levels detected, the actions that the system is taking to address the problem, and any steps that you should take to reduce exposure.

Private well users

Test for atrazine if you live near agricultural fields or areas where pesticides are made, stored, or mixed.

• Complete a screening test for atrazine from the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene or the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

Take action if the atrazine level is equal to or greater than 3 micrograms per liter (µg/L).

• Contact the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) at datcpgw@wi.gov or 608-224-4502 for a free, follow-up sample.

Take additional action if the atrazine level is still high.

• Use a different source of water for drinking and preparing foods that take up a lot of water (like oatmeal, rice, and gelatin).
  • Options include bottled water, water from a well without issues, and water from a public system without violations.
• It is ok to use the water for bathing, brushing teething, and washing dishes.
• Find a long-term solution. Options include installing a certified treatment device and drilling a new well.
  • Our Water Treatment Devices for Private Well Contaminants fact sheet, P-45012 (PDF) has information on certified treatment devices for atrazine.
  • The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) well compensation grants provide funds to address public health hazards in private wells.

Our Atrazine in Private Well Water fact sheet, P-03500 has these steps in printable format.

Practicing safe gardening habits can lower exposure to all kinds of soil contaminants, including atrazine. These habits include

• Wearing gloves when working in the garden.
• Using raised garden beds with clean soil, such as store-bought soil, topsoil, or clean fill from certified sources.
• Adding natural matter like composts and manure to the soil.
• Not eating food, drinking, and smoking when working in the garden.
• Not track dirt from the garden into the house.
• Washing hands after gardening and before eating.
• Washing fruits and vegetables before eating.
• Peeling root crops and removing outer leaves of leafy vegetables before eating.