Neillsville City Council Hears Preliminary Compliance Alternatives Plan for Phosphorous Levels
Sunday, May 29th, 2016 -- 6:39 AM
The Neillsville City Council heard the Preliminary Compliance Alternatives Plans for Phosphorous levels at their meeting on Tuesday.Phosphorous is a chemical that’s found in fertilizers and it’s a nutrient needed by plants. Because of this, it ends up in water runoff when farmers apply it to their fields. The high levels of phosphorus cause algae blooms, which lessens the oxygen in water causing massive fish kills. To combat that, the DNR has imposed strict new levels of phosphorus allowed by all Wisconsin municipalities. For example, Neillsville is currently allowed to have 1 milligram of phosphorus per liter of water. But when the new limits go into effect, they’ll only be allowed .075 milligrams per liter.
Several options were provided to Neillsville on how to lower levels by two representatives from MSA Professional Services of Marshfield. Those included Adoptive Management, Economic Variance, Multi-Discharger Variance, Water Quality Trading and Treatment Upgrades. The Treatment Upgrades are very expensive and would cost more than Neillsville’s waste water plant is worth. Some of the plans could be completed in as little as 6 years while others may take 20. The council must make a decision on what they’re going to do by November.
Currently, for phosphorous, Neillsville has about .4 milligrams per liter coming in and .2 going out, but it’s still far from the .075 limit set by the DNR.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.