KIEL, Wis. (WHBL) -- Kiel city officials are seeking Department of Natural Resources approval for improvements to the city's wastewater treatment plant.
The original facility was built in 1965, and DNR Wastewater engineer Gerry Novotny says the plant simply cannot meet current clean water standards. "Our requirements for discharge increasingly get more stringent with time, and in order to keep the plant in compliance with the state and federal regulations, the upgrading is required." Specifically, the new improvements will help the plant contain biochemical contaminants, reduce ammonia and phosphorus outputs, and meet pending legislative requirements.
Construction on the plant is scheduled to start next year and continue through 2020, but first the plan has to pass DNR environmental impact studies. Novotny says the plan is now up for public review and that residents in Kiel are invited to comment on the project. "From the standpoints of environmental impacts, if there's something that we may have overlooked or didn't know about, this is an opportunity for the public to weigh in on that."
The total cost for the project is projected at around $19,500,000, and Kiel plans to pay for most of it through state and federal clean water grants.
If you'd like to make a public comment, contact Gerry Novotny by calling 608-267-7625, sending him an email at gerry.novotny@wisconsin.gov or by sending a letter to Water Quality Bureau, Department of Natural Resources, Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin 53707.