Two Rivers’ Utilities Committee got a blunt warning: the city’s long-running sludge disposal plan is unraveling fast because of PFOS/PFOA limits, and staff are scrambling for a backup before fall 2026. The committee also flagged clear-water sewer infiltration and laid out big-ticket stormwater pond projects that could drive future utility costs.
No public comments or communications recorded for this meeting.
Staff reported multiple utility construction projects moving—some with friction. The 2025 sewer lining work is being delayed by clear water from private laterals (like foundation drains) getting into the sanitary system, and the committee explicitly noted it will need a future discussion on how to eliminate that problem. Bids for 2026 sewer lining were received and staff said Visu-Sewer will get the contract; lead service line replacement work also has shifting timelines, with one contractor temporarily stepping away and another preparing to start in May.
The biggest red flag was sludge disposal: fewer farmers are willing to accept sludge, one cited PFOS/PFOA, and the landfill won’t take it—leaving the city racing to find a workable option before fall 2026. Staff said they’re evaluating city-owned land in Woodland Industrial Park (with WDNR approval) but noted practical limits like crop rotation and what the crops are used for. The committee also heard about a sludge pump failure and grit problems tied to basin cleaning and high flows; staff stabilized the plant and plan to start annual inspections of diaphragm pumps to avoid getting caught flat-footed again.
Staff said WPPI loan paperwork was signed and the loan could close, with finance to confirm whether funds were deposited. Substation maintenance was moved up to the week of May 4 due to a contractor opening, with staff shifting loads to alternate transformers to make the work possible. The utility scholarship program drew seven applications; two $500 scholarships will be awarded after WPPI reviews applications.
The reservoir overflow piping reconfiguration is underway, with exterior work done and interior work expected soon, aiming to finish before Memorial Day. The east water tower is slated for repainting in August, and the utility is working on a required risk-and-resilience report due to WDNR by June 30. The utility also announced a $33,000 outreach grant focused on lead/galvanized service lines and said it’s waiting on a vendor’s preliminary study on whether advanced meters (AMI) make sense, with more expected in June.
Staff summarized the MS4 stormwater master plan work and said one watershed area draining to Molash Creek isn’t actually conveyed through the city’s MS4 system—meaning the city argues it shouldn’t be responsible for that stormwater. The recommendations that remain are not small: keep existing practices, consider parking controls to make street sweeping more effective, and build three new wet detention ponds estimated at roughly $2.6M to $3.75M total (2025 estimates). They also flagged that leaf collection practices may need changes in the future for phosphorus reduction, but that wasn’t evaluated in this study.
Staff corrected the record on recycling tonnage, saying a tracking spreadsheet setup caused over-reporting and that, after adjustment, totals are basically steady compared to past years. On PFOS/PFOA, staff said the wastewater plant must sample every other month and may be forced into a WDNR-required minimization plan depending on results; early signs point to landfill leachate as a major contributor. Testing reportedly found PFOA levels in landfill-related flows far higher than the plant’s effluent, and staff scheduled a consultant meeting to discuss ways to reduce PFOS/PFOA in leachate and possibly in the wastewater stream.