wastewater utility

City Council adopted Resolution 26-105, the annual wastewater treatment plant compliance maintenance resolution required for state oversight, on an 8-0 vote.

At a work session, staff said PFAS had been detected in wastewater solids and identified leachate from the city’s closed landfill as a major suspected source.

Staff said the city’s two main farm partners no longer want to accept wastewater sludge, which has historically been applied on agricultural land.

Staff said the wastewater plant produces about 18,000 cubic yards of sludge annually and has about 12 months of storage capacity remaining.

Staff said the wastewater permit requires PFAS testing and a report to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in July 2026.

Staff discussed possible short-term options including private hauling and testing a sludge-and-street-sweepings mix for landfill cover, plus a possible roughly $1 million landfill-leachate treatment system. No vote was taken.

The Public Utilities Committee is scheduled to consider a wastewater facilities-plan proposal; the agenda does not identify the consultant, scope, price, or projects the plan would guide.