Athens needs to upgrade its sewer plant

By Casey Krautkramer

The Village of Athens Board on Monday approved an approximate $1.1 million upgrade to the village’s wastewater treatment plant to comply with the state Department of Natural Resources’phosphorus discharge limit into the Wisconsin River Basin.

Pat Morrow, wastewater treatment team leader at MSA Professional Services, said the village of Athens’ wastewater treatment plant upgrade includes feed equipment for phosphorus removal and pH stabilization, in addition to sludge removal from the lagoons. He said chemical storage and related equipment will be located both inside the village of Athens’ existing Rotating Biological Contractor (RBC) building and outside adjacent to the building.

Lisa Czech, village of Athens clerk, said it’s too early in the process to know the amount of the loan and for how long it would be for upgrading the wastewater treatment plant because the project won’t be bid out until 2025. She said at that point the village will need to look into options for loans and then determine the amount of sewer rate increase for village residents. Czech said the village of Athens still has six years left to pay on its loan for the existing sewer treatment plant.

The village of Athens water and sewer committee met on Monday night before the regular monthly board meeting in the new municipal hall. The committee, which is chaired by Chris Perkins, tabled making a recommendation to the full village board to hire MSA Professionals to go ahead with designing the sewer treatment plant upgrade.

The full village board, however, voted unanimously to approve the task order with MSA Professionals for $198,100 for the design and bidding for the village wastewater treatment plant.

Czech said the village’s permit states that March 1, 2025, is the deadline for the vil-

See ATHENS/ page 8 Athens

Continued from page 1

lage to start construction on upgrading its wastewater treatment plant. She said construction needs to be completed before the March 31, 2026, deadline.

In other business:

n The village board accepted a donation from the Athens Area Booster Club for a new scoreboard for the village hall diamond. n Village board members approved to allow Chad Pecher to conduct scrap pickup on May 11. He signed a liability waiver because he doesn’t have insurance.

n The village board accepted a quote from Northway Communication for $2,401.22 to replace the batteries and add a timer on the weather sirens. n Village board members approved a proclamation for Arbor Day on Friday, April 26.

n The village board changed the meeting date in May to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 20, so that it isn’t on Memorial Day. The December meeting was also changed to 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, so it isn’t right before Christmas. The time of the December meeting has been moved up earlier because there is an Athens Fire Commision meeting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 16 that two of the village board members need to attend.

n Nobody stepped up to volunteer to water the flower baskets on the village light poles this summer, therefore the village won’t be purchasing them this year.