Wausau could soon have some of the best water in the country, thanks to 'forever chemical' filters
After the installation of a new water treatment system to address "forever chemicals," Wausau will likely have some of the best drinking water in the country.
In June, the city approved plans for a $16.8 million treatment system that will run its drinking water through a series of carbon filters — known as granulated activated carbon, or GAC — effectively removing not only PFAS but many other contaminants, said Eric Lindman, the city's public works director.
"It'll be significantly higher quality than what we have now," he said. "We'll probably have some of the highest quality in the nation."
The city will likely also be the first in the state to treat its entire water supply for PFAS, Lindman said, making Wausau an example for other municipalities that find the compounds in their own drinking water.
The system will be built over the next two years after the city looks into funding sources from both state and federal agencies, Lindman said. In the meantime, the city will have a short-term filtration system running at its new water treatment facility, which is scheduled to go online in August. That system will bring PFAS levels down to about 12 to 15 parts per trillion, Lindman said, well under the state's regulations of 70 parts per trillion.
But the carbon system will filter to much lower levels, possibly even down to levels that are undetectable by current testing methods.
PFAS are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time.
The chemicals have been linked to types of kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems, altered hormone regulation and altered thyroid hormones. The chemicals enter the human body largely through drinking water.
Despite the fact that PFAS have been around for generations, there is still much ongoing research into how best to remove the "forever chemicals" from water supplies.
Wausau was found to have elevated levels of PFAS in all six of its drinking wells in January, causing the city to launch an effort to get bottled water and filtration pitchers out to residents. Since then, the city has distributed $240,000 worth of pitchers and bottled water, all while researching a way to clean the millions of gallons of water it pumps to 16,000 homes each day.
The days following the announcement were hectic, with city officials scrambling for answers and solutions as scared community members asked questions about the safety of their water.
Katie Rosenberg, Wausau's mayor, said that thanks to an influx of federal funding through the infrastructure program and COVID-19 relief packages, there will be funding to help pay for the system and its installation.
"We're trying to add it all up and get the financing right so that we know exactly what we're in for. But it's looking good, at least from the standpoint of pulling in funds from elsewhere. So it's not just residents footing the bill," she said. "But you know, it's still $16 million extra that wasn't anticipated and maybe it could have been."
At this point, the city expects that the average residential user's quarterly bill will increase by $12 overall to help pay for the system.
'It is a complicated message'
One of the hardest parts to navigate for the city hasn't been deciding on a treatment system or getting residents water to drink in the meantime.
What has been difficult is the constantly changing landscape for the regulation of PFAS in Wisconsin.
When Wausau's contamination was first discovered, the state's health advisory limit was 20 parts per trillion, as recommended by the Department of Health Services. All of its wells were above that number.
More: 'Forever chemicals' linked to high blood pressure in women, new study shows
But a month later, the Natural Resources Board, which sets policy for the state Department of Natural Resources, approved a higher limit of 70 ppt in drinking water. The Legislature allowed that regulation to take effect in June. None of Wausau's wells reached numbers that high, though, leading to confusion.
Also in June, the Environmental Protection Agency released new health advisory limits much lower than either of Wisconsin's numbers — 0.004 ppt for PFOA and 0.02 ppt for PFOS.
"It is a complicated message to give to the public," Rosenberg said. "But, you know, we're going to try and get us as low as possible."
The city is looking to avoid having to change the filtration system in the future if numbers are lowered again by either the state or federal government. Lindman said it's the best way to navigate the conflicting levels, while at the same time ensuring that residents can feel secure drinking the water from their taps.
"We're trying to keep a project moving, improve water quality to the best we can and still meet any future drinking water standards," he said.
Lindman said he hopes that the aggressive action taken against PFAS shows residents that the city and Wausau Water Works has their best interests in mind, and providing safe and clean water is one of the highest priorities. The PFAS situation did cause uncertainty and fear for a period of time, over Wausau's water supply and its safety.
"I know we've lost some credibility with the public and I certainly hope over the next few months that we're able to gain that back," he said. "There's still a lot we don't know, but I think that moving forward, answers will come and we'll share those as we get them."
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wausau hopes PFAS fix gives it the best drinking water in the country
