Wednesday, August 03, 2011

$50 Million for Phosphorous

Brookfield has SO many farms and stuff, you know. And this is another "DC Mind" post!

State lawmakers have taken steps to ease the financial burden placed on municipalities by stormwater quality standards - but nitrogen and phosphorus filtration rules that could cost the city of Brookfield $50 million remain on the books.

The state Natural Resources Board voted in 2010 to adopt more stringent phosphorus and nitrogen filtering standards to meet federal Environmental Protection Agency mandates.

Yup. Rivers are damn near on fire out here, just like Cleveland.

Think $50 million's a lot? Wait until MMSD announces....

1 comment:

Bill said...

Some time ago, JS had an article about phosphorus limits in municipal wastewater. The trouble with the limits is that most municipalities have aging clean water infrastructure, Milwaukee included. The old water supply pipes are made or lined with (drum roll) lead. In order to reduce the lead from seeping into out water supply, the water works pumps in (drum roll again) phosphorus. Over time, it builds up like a shell and keeps the lead out. Trouble is, it wears down over time and must be replaced. So, the vast, and I mean vast, amount of phosphorus in our wastewater was placed there by the Water Works. In most municipalities that separate their storm water, the only real source of phosphorus comes from our detergents.