Wausau Mayor Discusses Resin Filtration System to Remove PFAS

Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 -- 8:00 AM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) -Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg says the city's resin filtration system designed to remove PFAS contamination is showing signs of breakthrough, but that's too be expected.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, she said there is a cleansing method they can use to help alleviate that. "We've been backwashing it, that's what they call it, so spraying it out and putting it back. So, you'll see numbers go up and down."

But she says that won't last forever as they will be testing once a month in anticipation that they do eventually exceed the 20 parts per trillion mark, which would require another drinking water advisory. "You'll see it published on our website, on social media, in the newspaper. We're not there yet. You won't see anything now."

She says they are also preparing for when they may have to replace the resin, which is a lengthy process that can cost up to one million dollars. "We expect that probably some time in summer, maybe early fall."

The resin system is a placeholder for a new granular activated carbon filtration system which is still on track to be installed in late 2024.

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