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Committee backs IGA to distribute Fox River treatment credits amid DNR TMDL planning
Summary
City staff told the Public Works Committee the DNR's Fox River TMDL will assign pollutant loads and that the Fox River Water Pollution Control Center currently produces transferable phosphorus and TSS credits; the committee recommended an intergovernmental agreement to allocate those credits to partner communities.
The Public Works Committee recommended that the Common Council approve an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that would allocate phosphorus and total suspended solids (TSS) removal credits generated at the Fox River Water Pollution Control Center, a staff member said during the committee's meeting.
Committee members heard that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is developing a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Fox River watershed that will assign each community a share of pollutant-loading responsibility. A staff member explained that the wastewater treatment plant currently removes those pollutants at a level better than the expected TMDL standard, creating credits that can be transferred to communities based on their ownership share and flow contributions.
"We own about 17.22% of the plant," the staff member said, and the proposed IGA describes how those credits would be divvied up and the cost implications to realize them. The staff member said costs to realize the credit would flow through the sewer utility, with reimbursements from the stormwater utility because the reductions also address MS4 permit obligations.
Why it matters: Allocation of treatment credits could reduce the amount of new capital work the city must undertake to comply with future TMDL limits, but it also requires interagency agreement on cost-sharing and mechanics for credit distribution.
Committee members asked few questions; a member moved to recommend the IGA to the Common Council, a second was given, and the Chair called a voice vote. Members vocalized "Aye," advancing the recommendation to the council.
Next steps: The committee's recommendation will be forwarded to the Common Council for consideration and any final approvals needed to execute the IGA.
