IronwoodInfo News Magazine

Cheap Is What Cheap Gets

The Gogebic-Iron Wastewater Authority and The Gogebic-Iron Wastewater Board met concurrently Wednesday morning for their monthly meeting. The meeting was brief due to other commitments by the City of Ironwood representatives.

Of interest to taxpayers would be the outcome of near fatally wounded front end loader previously discussed in IronwoodInfo. You may recall that the Wastewater front end loader was in poor repair. It was old and tired and just as we all have faced this situation with our own automobiles, the choices were limited. Pay to repair the existing one or buy a new one.

Although the representatives from Hurley and the Ironwood Township favored buying a new one, the city representatives did not. They chose to fix up the old one. The way the Wastewater Authority and Board are set up, only the city can call the shots. Even though the Township and Hurley are financial partners with the city, they are treated as unwanted step children.

So as we can all have guessed the Ironwood reps voted to waste $23,000 on fixing the old. In, addition the wastewater facility was without the use of a front end loader for several months. Now with the old one repaired we find that the repairs did not adequately fulfill the needs of the wastewater authority. Surprise - Surprise! As the old saying goes "cheap is what cheap gets". Other than the fact that the city charged the wastewater authority exorbitant fees for plowing this winter, what was there to gain by repairing the old loader. If the authority were broke and destitute like the city you might understand. However, The wastewater authority has a seven figure replacement fund sitting there just growing and growing. Makes you wonder what kind of raid the city plans on the authority treasury. No, just kidding, but we do know why the city is building surpluses at the authority. But, that will be a subject for this year's city election.

On the brighter side, the board/authority heard from authority director Mark Bowman. Mark had been to a wastewater conference. As a result of his attendance, Mark filled the authority/ board (or is it board/authority?) on the latest trends in wastewater treatment, particularly nitrogenization of the waste and the benefits and perhaps short comings of the treatment on phosphorous.

If you are a gardener you may know that sewer sludge is sold as an agricultural enrichment to to soil. However, over phosphorization is showing up in plant life. A matter to be dealt with. The really good news is that wastewater treatment may (in our life times) become an income source rather than just an expense. Mark told us that in Sweden, the Methane gas given off in sewerage treatment is further purified and used as a replacement for LPG. In fact many public buses and other vehicles are fueled by the refined methane. It's most satisfying