06/05/2019- Efforts continue to analyze the PFAs contamination in Marinette’s wastewater biosolids. Water and Wastewater Operations Manager Warren Howard informed the Common Council Tuesday his department has been working with Tyco and chemical testing labs on dewatering samples of the city’s biosolids to determine just where the PFAS compounds end up and come up with a solution on how the city can move forward to ultimately dispose of all their contaminated biosolids. Marinette has been holding this matter at the request of the Wisconsin DNR for several months, but those holding tanks are nearing capacity. Howard says the tentative plan is to ship the dewatered biosolids out for incineration and treat the remaining filtrate for PFAS before returning it to the wastewater treatment plant.
As far as drinking water goes, Howard says the City is still in the clear. Quarterly testing is performed to check for PFAS and thus far, the results have shown low or no-detect. There are a few residences within Marinette that have private wells, and Howard says those property owners will likely eventually be hooked up to City water.
The City is in the process of planning a combined meeting about the local PFAS contamination with representatives from the DNR and Tyco, and it’s expected to be held in the next couple of weeks. Residents are still invited to submit questions about the issue they’d like addressed at that meeting by emailing PFAS@marinette.wi.us.