Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Onalaska officials fast-track design work after tests show Well 9 near proposed PFAS limit
Summary
City staff reported quarterly test results that show Well 9 hovering at or above the EPA'proposed 4 nanograms per liter threshold for PFOA. The Board voted unanimously to submit an intent-to-apply for state funding, issue an RFP for design services and put $50,000 in the 2026 capital-improvement budget toward pilot/design work.
The Board of Public Works and Utilities in Onalaska voted unanimously Oct. 7 to submit an intent to apply for state drinking-water funding and to issue a request for proposals (RFP) to design treatment for Well 9 after quarterly tests showed levels of PFOA close to the Environmental Protection Agency'proposed maximum contaminant level (MCL).
City Public Works Director Jared Holter said the city has monitored PFAS compounds at its wells since 2021 and that recent quarterly results have trended near the 4 nanograms-per-liter level the EPA has proposed for PFOA. "We are going to put the intent to apply in by the October 31 deadline," Holter told the board.
The nut of the decision: Holter and other staff urged moving quickly to develop design plans so the city can qualify for state Safe Drinking Water loan funding that includes principal forgiveness for emerging-contaminant projects. Kevin Schubert, city engineer, said the timeline is tight but feasible and that the state program has in recent rounds provided principal forgiveness equal to up to 50% of a project and up to about $3.5…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
