Stevens Point, Whiting asked about consolidation
By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
The state Department of Natural Resources wants Stevens Point and Whiting to consider consolidating their wastewater treatment plants.
Joe Behlen, area wastewater engineer for the DNR, proposed the idea to the municipalities in March to get the ball rolling with the possibility the systems could be consolidated.
The need for consolidation isn't imminent, he said, but Whiting could be facing an upgrade in eight to 10 years, so he feels the process should begin. Economically, a consolidated plant is generally less expensive, but politically the decision is often difficult, he said.
The municipalities are within the guidelines for treatment and there's no capacity issues, Behlen said, but he just wants to put the proposal out for discussion.
Stevens Point Mayor Gary Wescott said he feels it's an idea worth exploring, adding "it certainly would be consistent with my philosophy of local units of government cooperating and working together."
Whiting Village President Chuck Kell is also receptive to the idea. "I think there may be advantages to regional treatment," he said.
Kell wonders if the village of Plover shouldn't be involved in the discussions also, because the three communities are so close together.
Behlen said he didn't include Plover in the possibility because that plant was just upgraded two years ago and is quite a distance downstream from the other plants.
Stevens Point's plant is located on Bliss Avenue and Whiting's is on Strange Street, within a mile of each other. Plover's plant is on Coolidge Avenue on the far western edge of the village, several miles away.
Behlen said Plover is in a situation where the village won't need to do anything for a number of years, as far as upgrades.
Wescott said Whiting has indicated an interest to sit down and talk about a possible consolidation.
Kell said the issue had been talked about previously, but it went nowhere. "We would need a major facilities study, which means someone will have to pay for it," he said.
Whiting's plant was built in 1979, Kell said. "It's aging. Technology changes. In about 10 years we'll have to do something significant and major. We want to look at what's most cost-effective for residents."
Kell wonders what happened now to trigger the discussion about consolidation, if it's from Gov. Scott McCallum or elsewhere.
From a community standpoint, he said he felt Whiting might look more toward Plover because Whiting would have to install a costly pump system to get to the Stevens Point sewage treatment rather than a gravity system when linked to Plover. The village has two lift stations to serve the Stora Enso mill and River Pines Center, he said, but everything else is a gravity system.
Behlen said the proposal for consolidation was based more on the age of the Whiting system than anything else. "Lift stations are not uncommon," he said, pointing out that the Madison area sewage system serves 22 communities. "It's less expensive than building and operating their own treatment system," he said.
Greg Disher, director of water and sewer for Stevens Point, said the city and Whiting probably should have combined their systems in the 1970s before Plover built its own system.
Before consolidation takes place, studies will have to be done to make sure the consolidation is equitable for everyone and what consolidation will all entail, he said.
If Whiting came into Stevens Point's system today, the plant would be treating 2.8 to 3 million gallons per day and the plant has the capacity to handle 4.1 million gallons per day, Disher said.
Because the need for upgrades is several years away, Behlen said he thought he'd get the ball rolling now on the idea. "Sometimes these regional plants biggest objection is two communities getting together and working out an agreement.
"Engineering is easy," he said. "Political solutions take time."