water tect bad news for water

Proposed phosphorous restrictions could be costly to Wis. municipalities	<<>
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
MILWAUKEE, WIS. — According to Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage Distict (MMSD) Executive Director Kevin Shafer, proposed restrictions on the amount of phosphorous discharged by wastewater treatment plants could cost the state billions, the Journal Sentinel reported. State municipalities could spend up to $4.3 billion to build new filtration systems needed to comply with the new restrictions, the article stated. Shafer said the municipal sewage plants account for only 20 percent or less of the phosphorous entering most of the state’s major water basin, according to the story. MMSD estimates that property taxes would have to be increased by 28 percent or more to pay for the wastewater system upgrades, the story reported. “We should not spend billions of dollars to solve 20 percent of the phosphorus problem in the least cost-effective manner,” said Paul Kent, a Madison attorney and spokesman for the Municipal Environmental Group. MMSD will present its concerns to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources at a public hearing today. To read the entire article, click here. For related information, click here.