Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
Hurley — The city of Hurley will again send out letters advising water customers of high contamination levels, even though recent tests have shown the water is within safe drinking standards.
Because the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources averages readings from the city’s last four tests and that amount for Hurley exceeds acceptable levels, the letter will be necessary.
The last two tests for Hurley showed improvements and were within federal guidelines. Last August, the city had failing test numbers and a letter was sent out to citizens warning of long-term health consequences of drinking the water.
Mayor Joe Pinardi stressed Tuesday the most recent contamination level of 56 was well below the standard of 80 set by federal regulations.
Pinardi said the city would have needed an impossible -29 reading in its latest test to get under the number determining contamination in the four-test average.
“We don’t want people to panic when they get the letters,” Pinardi said.
Council member Terry Seibel said he feared people won’t understand the letter because of the technical language it contains, as required by the DNR. He said people may think the water is unsafe to drink, which isn’t the case.
Gary Laguna, the city’s water plant operator, said he used a standard letter from the DNR for the notice and filled in the blanks. He said the DNR is very strict in language to be used in the letter.
Near the end of the regular monthly meeting, city attorney Ray O’Dea said he would look at the letter to determine if the city can also send a simpler companion letter explaining that the current tests show the water is now safe to drink.
The council also agreed Tuesday to request a 3 percent water rate increase from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. If approved, the water raise increase won’t take effect until the December billing.
The council previously delayed the increase request, citing bad timing. Council members said Tuesday there is no good time to seek rate increases, but Joanne Bruneau noted this one will come on the heels of the letter to customers about water contamination.
In other action Tuesday, the city council appointed Chris Colassaco police chief, effective June 1, when Dan Erspamer will retire.
Pinardi said he wanted to announce the appointment now so Colassaco can get his “ducks in a row” with his Gogebic-Iron Area Narcotics Team duties. He is the leader of that anti-drug team.
Erspamer did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.
The council will meet in its reorganizational session next Tuesday at 4 p.m. It will be the first meeting for Stephanie Innes-Smith, who edged Seibel by four votes in the April 5 election for the sixth seat on the council.