Good news: discharge of phosphorus from Colfax below DNR limit, Colfax earns 3.74 GPA on wastewater report

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX  —  The discharge of phosphorus from the Colfax wastewater treatment lagoons in 2015 was less than the limit of 3 milligrams per liter set by the state Department of Natural Resources.

That’s good news for a village which, prior to the new phosphorus limit in the wastewater permit, was discharging between 8 and 10 milligrams of phosphorus per liter.

The Colfax Village Board reviewed the Compliance Maintenance Annual Report for the wastewater treatment facility at the June 27 meeting.

Phosphorus discharge is one section of the CMAR.

In June of last year, the discharge of phosphorus was 1.3 mg/L, while in July the phosphorus discharge was 2.8 mg/L.

In August of 2015, the phosphorus discharge was .3 mg/L, while in September, it was .9 mg/L.

In October, the phosphorus discharge was 2.8 mg/L and in November, it was 2.5 mg/L.

The village’s new wastewater permit issued by the state Department of Natural Resources in 2014 set the phosphorus limit at 4 milligrams per liter.

The limit for phosphorus last year and this year is 3 milligrams per liter.

By 2017, the phosphorus limit for Colfax will be 1.5 milligrams per liter.

In 2013, the village began a pilot study of treating the wastewater lagoons with alum, which binds with the phosphorus and causes it to settle out.

The lower phosphorus limit for Colfax is part of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for phosphorus that the DNR established for the 1900-square-mile Red Cedar Watershed.

Phosphorus run-off from the entire watershed drains into Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin, and the phosphorus from Colfax is only a small percentage of the overall phosphorus load.

The soil in this area is naturally high in phosphorus, and water coming out of the tap in Colfax is already high in phosphorus.

Phosphorus is the nutrient implicated in fueling the toxic algae blooms that turn Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin a thick green color during the summer.

For 2014, the wastewater treatment facility in Colfax received a grade of above a “B” (3.33 on a scale of 4.0), with a grade of “D” on the phosphorus section.

For 2015, the wastewater treatment facility received a grade of “A” on the phosphorus section, with an overall grade of 3.74 on a scale of 4.

The CMAR, which is submitted to the state Department of Natural Resources, contains a variety of sections, including influent, BOD, total suspended solids, phosphorus, ponds, biosolids, staffing, operator certification, financial and collection.

TSS

The wastewater treatment facility received a grade of “C” on total suspended solids, said Rand Bates, director of public works, at the June 27 village board meeting.

The school district or a business in town probably dumped something down the drain that came through into the wastewater facility, he said.

Elevated total suspended solids happens a couple of times a year, Bates said.

The Colfax wastewater lagoons discharge from May through November or December.

In the fall, the lagoons are drawn down by 12 million gallons before they stop discharging so there is storage room for over the winter, Bates said.

Grades of A and B on the CMAR are in the voluntary range and any response from the village is optional. A grade of C is in the recommendation range, and a response is required. Grades of D and F are action range, and a response is required.

On the sections other than total suspended solids, the Colfax wastewater treatment facility received a grade of A.

As of December 31, 2015, the facility had $26,838.09 in the equipment replacement fund.

Colfax received 41.5 inches of precipitation last year compared an annual average precipitation of 32 inches.

The village has 7.8 miles of sanitary sewer and one lift station.

Part of the rules for the Compliance Maintenance Annual Report on wastewater treatment facilities is that the Colfax Village Board must review the report and then pass a resolution informing the DNR that the board has reviewed the report.

The Colfax Village Board unanimously approved the CMAR resolution.