Village may pursue grant to cut phosphorus in stormwater

The Village of Fredonia is considering applying for grants to fund projects that would help reduce the amount of stormwater-borne phosphorus into the Milwaukee River and help meet state regulatory requirements.

The Urban Nonpoint Source and Storm Water Management Grant Program helps fund programs by local governments seeking to control pollution from farms and other sources.

Grants can be for up to $150,000 for projects with a population density of 1,000 people per square mile or in areas that are expected to become urban within 20 years.

The Village Board is set to discuss applying for the grants when it meets at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at Village Hall.

The village’s Public Works Committee last month recommended moving forward with the application.

The effort to reduce runoff is meant to help curtail the amount of phosphorus running into streams to meet limits set by the state Department of Natural Resources, which imposed tougher restrictions on municipalities and other “point sources” in 2010.

In 2016, the DNR concluded that 41% of the more than 7,700 waters in the state violated standards for phosphorus contamination.

“Point sources” include factories, sewage treatment plants, fertilizers, manure, grass clippings and other organic sources.

But municipalities can be penalized for high phosphorus levels in streams, whether it comes from point sources or nonpoint sources, such as farm fields, lawns and parking lots.

Reducing stormwater pollution in an effort to meet state requirements is known as an “adaptive management” approach that  requires constant monitoring of the river to measure its effectiveness.

High levels of phosphorus cause algae to bloom in lakes, streams and rivers. One pound of phosphorus can cause 500 pounds of algae to grow, environmentalists say.

Grant funds could be used to build catch basins, purchase easements, develop wetlands or reroute drains, as well as pay for administrative costs, engineering design and other consultant work.