Mosinee moving ahead on sewage pipeline

Mosinee - MyFox Wausau - The city of Mosinee could soon send its sewage to another plant. In November, we first told you city leaders were exploring the idea of becoming part of the Rib Mountain Metropolitan Sewerage District instead of revamping their existing plant. Now the council has voted to move forward with those plans.

Mosinee's Wastewater Treatment Facility will need to comply with new ammonia-nitrogen standards. The facility was built in the 1950's and has been through several renovations, the latest in 1996.

Now, city leaders say it will be more cost effective to pipe it's sewage into the Rib Mountain District instead of more renovations. "

"For example," explained Mosinee City Administrator Jeff Gates. "If new regulations come later on with the rehabbing option, the city would be the only one sharing that cost of having to again rehab our plant and again look at additional costs to our users. Whereas if there are new regulations that comes down years later, we can share in those costs with the existing customers of the Rib Mountain Sewerage District."

The Metro District consists of 4 other municipalities in Marathon County. Gates says they're looking into in federal and state grants to help with the estimated $9.1 million cost of joining the district, then constructing a pipeline through the Old 51 corridor from the current plant out to Rib Mountain. But the majority of the cost will come from customers.

"Right now we are projecting that a family of 4 would be looking at an increased bill of about $375 to $380 a year," Gates said.

And for some residents, that's cause for concern.

"Right now it's quite expensive," said Mosinee resident Dan Vils. "We treat our water quite a bit and I'm paying $200 to $225 every 3 months for my water and sewer. So if that were to go up, I guess I'd have to pay it just like I pay my taxes."

But Gates says it's a project that needs to be done, and either option would mean a higher bill in the mail.

"Because we're looking at such a significant cost," he said. "Either rehabbing the plant which is approximately $7.5 million versus the Rib Mountain option with is $9.1 million."

City leaders still need to send a formalized petition to the Rib Mountain District before the decision is final. But the administrator says if everything pans out, construction on the pipeline could begin as early as this summer.