Ripon Common Council Drafting New Ordinance

RIPON, Wis. (WRPN) -The Ripon Common Council last night approved the drafting of an ordinance for sewer rate modifications for 2026.

In particular, it would be for the costs of more frequent testing associated with four large industrial employers that discharge larger quantities of wastewater.

City Administrator Adam Sonntag says it has cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars for what is termed “wet testing” over the last two years for the wastewater being discharged from those larger employers.

Sonntag says the last time the city did a sewer facility plan was 1996, and the last time they updated that was in 2002. The city is expecting the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to require more frequent testing for substances like ammonia nitrogen, chloride, metals, and phosphorous. MSA Professional Services had proposed the ordinance.

The Council also approved a Professional Services Agreement with MSA for State Highway 23 Utility Design Services for the 2030 Reconstruction Project.