WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Water Works Commission voted Monday to move forward with plans for a Granular Activated Carbon water filtration system, which will remove PFAS in the drinking water supply to nearly undetectable levels.
But due to funding mechanisms needed for the $16.8 million project, it cannot be installed immediately at the new plant. Public Works Director Eric Lindman says they are looking at $5 million in project-specific congressional spending and a $5 million grant from the state to kickstart the funding, but that still leaves a $6 million funding gap.
Complicating that process further is the fact that the state’s fiscal year ends in ten days, meaning any funding the city could receive would have to go through the 2023 budget cycle.
Lindman adds that it’s too soon to tell if this means another rate hike is in the city’s future. They plan to present a financial impact analysis during their August meeting.
Members of the board noted that investing in a GAC system will now only allow the City to control PFAS, but it will likely put the utility in a position to better handle the next emerging contaminants as well.
“GAC has proven itself over time to be able to deal with multiple contaminants of concern,” said Commissioner John Robinson. “I think it is within everyone’s interest to move ahead with the GAC and try to accelerate that as soon as we can.”
A temporary filtration system will be installed when the new plant comes online later this year. Lindman says that the system will get PFAS levels down to below 20 PPT, but will not eliminate them completely.
“Our mission was to reduce PFAS to below 20 PPT as soon as possible. We are able to do that,” said Lindman. “That will be the initial phased approach to this. It will be an interim solution, [reducing PFAS] by about half to 12-15 PPT average.”
Lindman adds that it’s good news that the city can reduce levels in the short term while waiting 18-24 months for the GAC system to be put in place. He adds that his team plans to work with state agencies and engineers to “crash that schedule” or reduce the timeline as much as possible.
Last week federal regulators with the EPA announced their advisory recommendations for PFAS in drinking water. Those sit at 0.004 PPT for the PFOA compound, and 0.02 for the PFOS compound. Both of those levels represent nearly indetectable amounts by current testing standards, which Lindman reiterates will be achieved with a GAC filtration system in the new plant.
