Ashland City Council Approves Water Filter Replacement Funding

The Ashland City Council voted to approve nearly $180,000 to purchase new filters for the city’s water plant to ensure clean drinking water.

The approval authorized the city to purchase 192 replacement filters for the plant. According to an Ashland Daily Press report, city officials say they last replaced the filters about eight years ago and those filters have reached the end of their useful life. They also say the old filters have started to cause pipe clogging at the plant, which could affect the city’s ability to produce enough clean water during a fire or following a water main break.

The replacement filters will cost $178,644, and the funding will come from the water utility fund. They will then be installed by water utility staff as soon as possible.

Improving drinking water quality has been a key goal across the state as local municipalities combat issues with PFAS contamination. Various local governments have also taken steps to replace more lead service lines in their areas to protect residents from the associated negative health effects.

Water quality has also been cited as a major concern regarding the Enbridge Energy Line 5 Pipeline reroute project in the Northwest Wisconsin region. In recent weeks, tribal and environmental organizations filed legal challenges against the Department of Natural Resources’ approval for the project’s waterway and wetland permit, water quality certification, and final environmental impact statement. Those organizations claim the Department of Natural Resources lacked the necessary information on specific rivers and streams that could be affected by a potential oil spill or pipe failure.