By Jason Arndt
Correspondent
Village of Union Gove residents could be faced with a hefty bill of at least $2.5 million from 2014 until 2022, pending the review of a petition recently filed with Department of Natural Resources by the Village of Union Grove.
The DNR is imposing a phosphorus limit on all state municipal Wastewater treatment facilities, which includes meeting the mandates by 2022 in a recently issued Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
Union Grove 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, unless the Village’s appeal works.
“In the end it will be a very huge and expensive addition to us especially when it is around the corner,” said Public Works Director Mark Osmundsen, speaking at an August special board meeting.
Phosphorus is a naturally occurring chemical derived from food, animal and human waste and is one type of fertilizer used on farms.
In accordance with the mandate, all municipalities need to submit a plan of action to the DNR by 2014.
“They have been working on this for quite awhile to bring down the phosphorous levels,” Osmundsen explained.
The Public Works dfirector indicated the state agency was working on establishing limits for the last two years and submitted the final guidelines to the Village 60 days ago.
Village President Mike Aimone indicated one of the options would be to raise Village residents’ sewer rates if the DNR denies the petition.
“This is going to drive people away because people would not be able to afford water,” Osmundsen said.
The Village spent $2,000 to file the petition but trustees agreed inactivity in the issue would have a long-term impact on the community.
“I guess if we don’t do anything and sit back waiting for everybody else to see what happens, then they will ask us why we did not contest it in the first place,” Village Trustee Bill Stoltz stated.
Trustee Teresa Holm inquired with Osmundsen why the City of Racine’s mandate is set higher at 0.6.
“Racine is different because they discharge it into Lake Michigan but we use the river,” Younglove said.
Osmundsen indicated the discharge site along the west bank of the Root River would not be sustainable without the treatment plant.
“The river has been drying up the last couple years and without the treatment plant, there would be no aquatic life present,” Osmundsen added.
Union Grove trustees voted to retain Attorney Paul Kent of Stafford, Rosenbaum LLC to represent the Village in contesting the imposed limits by the DNR.
Aimone received a suggestion to hire Kent as the representative of the Village by the Village Attorney due to “his experience in handling these matters.”
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