Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in La Crosse public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
7 issues in water utilities
Illicit railroad storm sewer connection closed
The railroad piped an unpermitted connection into the city storm sewer at Charles and St. James Streets using substandard materials. Staff closed it off; the railroad must go through the engineering department if it wants to reconnect.
$65 Million Wastewater Plant Upgrade and Phosphorus Compliance
La Crosse's new state discharge permit took effect October 1 with stricter limits, including PFAS monitoring mentioned 105 times in the permit. The plant's biosolids tested at 0.0843 parts per billion against a 20 ppb limit — well under, unlike some neighboring communities.
Green steel trial at the wastewater plant
The plant is only the second city in the country trialing 'green steel' — steel mill slag — to replace ferric chloride for phosphorus removal. Sixty days in, the plant is running better than ever with a third less chemical, and staff built the feeder in-house for $2,150 instead of a $100,000 system.
2027 Sewer Rate CPI Adjustment
Sewer bills are going up 4%, likely starting December 1 or January 1. The board also ordered a full rate study, with results back in 2027, to figure out longer-term sewer pricing.
Non-Compliant Utility Service Separations
State PSC rules require every unit in a multi-unit building to have its own shutoff, and shared sewer lines between duplexes must be separated — hitting property owners with $6,000-$10,000 bills, sometimes decades after the fact. Council members are frustrated; staff are testing a right-of-way assessment pilot and pricey remote-shutoff meters ($700 vs $150) as relief options.
Army Corps Flood Risk Management Study Agreement
The city is officially partnering with the Army Corps on a $3 million, three-year study of the North Side levee system — the first at this scale since 1975. It's the gateway to federal funding for actual flood protection projects later.
Water Utility Fleet and Equipment Needs
The water utility kept three trucks it was going to sell because flushing and valve-turning work left crews short on vehicles — cheaper than renting at $2,000 per truck for six months.