As if the scores of outdated and at-risk private wells in WI, contaminated from excessive farm fertilizer that carries with it a host of harmful bacteria and overabundance of nutrients like nitrogen, the connection to between unhealthy groundwater and surface water is very real.
In short, the only two sources of freshwater on the planet are inextricably tied. 
In a condensed review of Marios Sophocleous‘ scholarly article describing the interaction between surface water (SW) and groundwater (GW), it is clear that how one is affected — so is the other.
According to the abstract, “Surface-water and groundwater ecosystems are viewed as linked components of a hydrologic continuum leading to related sustainability issues.”
For those inclined to read further, the empirical evidence is supported through numerous sources. For the rest of us, it is enough to know that cleaning up and protecting all freshwater must become priority #1.
