Wausau Water Works unanimously approves sole-source chemical purchase and carries over $1 million for sewer repairs

At its Feb. 4 meeting the Wausau Water Works Commission unanimously approved a sole-source procurement for aluminum sulfate solution from Affinity Chemical and authorized a budget modification to carry over unused 2024 wastewater capital funds totaling $1,000,000 to 2025 for sewer slip-lining and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) repairs.

The commission also approved the minutes of its Jan. 7 meeting without change.

Sole-source purchase: A motion to approve the sole-source request for aluminum sulfate from Affinity Chemical was moved and seconded and passed unanimously. The agenda packet described the item as a renewal of the existing contract; the packet did not include further procurement alternatives in the meeting discussion.

Budget carryover for sewer repairs: Commissioners debated the carryover request before voting. Staff explained the carryover would combine leftover 2024 funds for slip-lining and H2S repairs into a $1,000,000 carryover, and that the 2025 budget includes $525,000 for slip-lining; staff said the combined projects would result in about $1,025,000 of work in 2025. Commissioners asked for details about hydrogen sulfide sources and pilots to reduce odors and corrosion; staff described a magnesium hydroxide dosing pilot in the Industrial Drive lift-station area that reduced H2S levels and noted dosing of about 75 gallons per day during the pilot.

"We've discovered that magnesium hydroxide is a somewhat of an oxidant that will diminish the H2S," staff member Ben said, describing the pilot and monitoring that showed H2S levels fell significantly during dosing. The commission approved the carryover motion unanimously.

The meeting record did not specify individual roll-call vote tallies. Motions were recorded in the meeting minutes as having passed "unanimously."