| Abstract |
The Wausau Water Supply site, also known as the Wausau Groundwater Contamination site, encompasses an area in the northern section of the City of Wausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin. The site includes five of six production wells in the City Well Field and is located on both sides of the Wisconsin River. The wells supply nearly all the potable water for approximately 33,000 people, as well as irrigation and industrial water to surrounding areas. In 1982, the city discovered that wells CW3, CW4, and CW6 were contaminated with VOCs. Since that time, several systems have been implemented to reduce VOC levels in the water supply. Initially, uncontaminated water from CW9 and CW7 was blended with water from CW3, CW4, and CW6 to dilute the VOC concentrations. However, increasing VOC concentrations resulted in regulatory limits being exceeded. The primary contaminants of concern affecting the West Well Field at the site are VOCs including TCE. The selected remedial action for the site includes ground water pumping and treatment using air stripping with discharge to the Wisconsin River; groundwater monitoring; and provision for implementation of an additional extraction well as necessary. |
