By Jason Arndt
A fairly long wait is likely in response to a recent appeal filed by the Village of Union Grove with the Department of Natural Resources that could save the Village up to $4.5 million to reduce phosphorous discharges.
“We sent paperwork to the state regarding the phosphorous limit and that was on file a month ago,” Public Works Director Mark Osmundsen reported at the Village Board’s Sept. 23 meeting.
“We are just waiting to hear back from them. We could be waiting for up to six months for a reply.”
The state Department of Natural Resources has mandated all state jurisdictions to reduce phosphorous limits at wastewater treatment facilities to specific levels by 2022.
At a special Village Board meeting held in August, officials announced the village will be ordered by the DNR to reduce phosphorous discharges from 0.9 milligrams per liter in 2013 to 0.075 milligrams per liter by 2022.
But the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit (WPDES) allows communities to submit a plan of action by 2014 and the appeal might stall Union Grove’s development of its corrective measure.
“Possibly there could be a delay,” Osmundsen said. “But it leaves a window open for possible negotiation.”
Phosphorous mandates vary among different jurisdictions due to the point of discharge of water waste.
Union Grove utilizes the west bank of the Root River, while the City of Racine uses Lake Michigan as its point of discharge.
Subsequently, the City of Racine has a larger limit of phosphorous discharge of 0.6 milligrams per liter.
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