Marshfield Utilities Constructing Temporary PFAS Removal Facility

MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – Marshfield Utilities (MU) has begun constructing a temporary PFAS Removal Facility at the Southside Booster Station, located South of 29th & Apple along the bike path. This facility will address the PFAS contaminants found during proactive testing in April 2022.

Upon receiving the results of those tests, MU immediately shut down the affected wells from production. Once construction of the PFAS removal facility is complete, the wells will go back into service, currently scheduled for early 2024. Community members who use the bike trail that connects the Griese Park area to the Mill Creek Industrial Park will see activity as the project progresses.

Currently, the concrete pad & underground piping that moves water to the facility from the wells and back to the Southside Booster Station is being constructed. The installation of the PFAS removal trailer will occur later this year on the concrete pad.

The wells taken out of service provided 1.2 million gallons of water per day for the Marshfield Community. The remaining wells have been able to maintain and manage an increased demand due to the dry weather. Marshfield is currently on pace to consume more water this year than in any of the previous 15 years.

The combination of reduced water sources and high demand has decreased our ability to flush water mains. Flushing of water mains by opening and running hydrants moves fresh water to locations throughout the distribution system. Additionally, the flushing causes the water to flow at higher rates than normal, scouring the inside of the water main pipe. This scouring removes the iron mineral buildup.

The reduction in flushing has increased discolored water events when businesses complete fire flow tests, water main breaks occur, and water is used to fight fires. This discoloration causes the water to have a darker color, caused by the scouring that removes iron. The water is safe to use & drink unless you are sensitive to iron. It does create an aesthetic issue, and customers should avoid doing laundry when experiencing discolored water.

When the PFAS removal facility is in service, and the four wells go back into water production, MU will return to regular maintenance flushing operations. Until then, Marshfield Utilities would like customers to know that the water is safe.

During this time, customers should keep notifying MU if they have any discolored water issues so that issues can be tracked and support expedited clean-up. Answers to frequently asked PFAS questions and Marshfield testing results can be found on the Marshfield Utilities website at https://bit.ly/PFAS_FAQ. Additional information about hydrant flushing is available at https://bit.ly/3YA0vDJ.

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