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Well shut down in Suamico for radium levels

By Ben Rodgers
Staff Writer

SUAMICO – The Village Board for Suamcio learned about levels of radium in a well that forced it to be shut down at Monday’s Nov. 21 meeting.

Well no. 2 recently exceeded the maximum contaminant level for radium, and as a result the village was required to notify the public, which it did by sending out a letter last week.

A sample tested on May 26, 2015 from the well entry point indicated radium, thus requiring additional tests.
Further sampling from October of 2016 to September of this year confirmed high levels of radium with a running average of 5.7 picocuries per liter.

Well no. 2 is located off of Bowling Green Lane.

This is over the maximum contaminant level of 5 PCI/L as mandated by state and federal safe water drinking regulations.

“We were prepared for it,” said Dan Drewery, director of public works. “Well no. 2 was shut down until further notice and we will be negotiating with the DNR for future remedies and or possible ramifications.”

The village has increased pumping rates in wells no. 3 and no. 4 to compensate for the loss of the contaminated well.

“We’re well aware of it, and until we make a decision on treating it or shutting it down for good we will be working with the DNR,” Drewery said.

More action on what to do about the wells will be discussed at the Public Works meeting at 6 p.m. on Nov. 28.

Road work updates

Drewery did have some good news for the board on Monday. He did secure nearly $64,000 additional for road projects through the Local Roads Improvement Program offered through the state and the county.

“We will apply that to the road improvement program here in the village, over and above what we are receiving as far as capital and use it for the 2018 season,” he said.

Blackberry Lane, Lost Creek Lane and Shady Lane will be reconstructed next year.

The estimated cost for all projects is roughly $485,000; with the LRIP funds the village has nearly $530,000 available.

The leftover costs could be used to repair some culverts or cul-de-sacs in that immediate area.

“We are being very careful with this,” Drewery said. “We do not know how the bids are coming in this year. We will appropriate all that money at the time when we know what those bids are going to be.”

Massage parlor ordinance

In other news Deputy Jim Kowalkowski, directed enforcement officer II for the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, presented the first reading of an ordinance aimed at regulation of massage parlors in the area.

The ordinance comes on the heels of law enforcement working to close a house of prostitution located in Suamico that was posing as a massage parlor.

The operation was located by Culvers and a dance studio near Lineville Road and Velp Avenue.

“This is going to give you what you need to hopefully prohibit or keep that type of business out of the village of Suamico,” Kowalkowski said. “… This is more meant towards the not legitimate business, and this doesn’t actively prohibit the legitimate business from operating.”

Any massage therapists working in the village who is not licensed through the state would be required to give their fingerprints, and permits for any businesses would not be allowed to be transferred, among other regulations.

“It’s a means of truly identifying who these people are,” Kowalkowski said. “Most of the people we’ve dealt with for these businesses are Asians from out of state and they know the system.”

Other communities in the area have dealt with similar problems and Suamico should be considered lucky law enforcement was able to shut down the one in operation by having the lease terminated, he said.

“We’re lucky, we’re fortunate,” Kowalkowski said. “Howard went through a lot of stress and work to get rid of theirs, Bellevue did also, Green Bay is in the process. We’re very fortunate.”

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