If just one more Rhinelander city well is taken offline, the city won’t be able to meet its water demand, according to a DNR drinking water supervisor.
Only three off Rhinelander’s five municipal wells are currently operating.
It’s been that way since last year, when the other two were shut off due to high levels of detected PFAS.
PFAS is a manmade chemical with links to health risks, including cancer.
DNR Public Drinking Water Field Supervisor Mark Pauli said losing another well would create a water supply problem for Rhinelander.
“The last sanitary survey was completed this year for the city of Rhinelander, when they did a firm capacity evaluation, they did find that if another well was to go down in the city of Rhinelander, they would not be able to meet the demand,” Pauli said. “But currently, with the three wells online, they are able to meet demand.”
Pauli made the comment as part of a Water Action Team Rhinelander online forum.
Testing in the three operational wells has detected only small, or nonexistent, levels of PFAS.
