Private Wells Drying Up in Drought Stricken Areas - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

MADISON, Wisconsin (WKOW) -- State drinking water officials are getting reports of private wells drying up in southern Wisconsin, making water conservation an added concern for some farmers. 

The Bakken family's farm in Pleasant Springs is wilting.

With no irrigation system in place, the drought is a death sentence for their crops.

"We've got 32 acres of corn and 18 acres of hay and 2 acres of tobacco and it's all struggling," says Mark Bakken.

Adding to their problems, the Bakkens recently found out their well pump had stopped working. Well repair worker Dean Harding, from The Pump Connection was called in to help bring back their water Saturday. 

"People in the agriculture community with livestock... it's critical to keep them in water. Those are the calls that get priority with us," says Harding.

Harding says he's been working around the clock responding to calls for help. In the past few weeks, he's seen dried up wells, collapsed wells and overworked pumps.

"The more you turn it on and off it tends to wear out the control box and overworks the electronics. It overworks the pump and that's how pumps burn out," says Harding.

The Bakken's pump problem was a quick fix.

But not everyone will be as lucky. Harding says he expects to see more wells drying up as the drought continues.