Water talks resume; sides harden Green Bay sets a deadline; suburbs say they still want to share a pipeline By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle Positions hardened on both sides of the water talks Thursday, as Green Bay affirmed plans for a no-pipeline improvement of its Lake Michigan supply while the suburbs told of their goal: a shared larger pipeline it says is better for all concerned. Two committees of Green Bay's Water Commission voted Thursday to affirm plans for an option to improve capacity of Green Bay's existing pipeline to the lake, but left open a chance for cooperation with the suburbs. The motion, to be voted on by the full commission Tuesday, says the boost to pumping and filtering capacity would take place unless the suburbs can prove by Aug. 25 that their plan would be more cost-effective. The move didn't surprised Central Brown County Water Authority president Len Teresinski. "I expected that," he said after a meeting in which the authority board told suburban officials of their recommendation for what's called a "modified contributed capital" option. "We're not interested in playing hardball." But the city isn't sure the suburbs can make that proposal. "We now have a negotiation base," said Green Bay Water Utility director Bill Nabek. "Now they have to chase our numbers. As for the engineering, it's a miracle if they can pull that off." The suburban plan is to build a 66-inch pipeline to share with Green Bay, new intake and booster stations which the suburbs would pay for and donate to Green Bay, and then take raw water from the pipe to suburban treatment plants. Green Bay has expressed engineering concerns about the proposal and the sides are split on just what share the suburbs would pay. Both sides face tight deadlines. If Green Bay is to build a new pipeline, it must be approved by Sept. 15 to start construction in time to meet future water needs. The suburbs need water by December 2006 to avoid fines for radium contamination in the well water they now use. John Brogan, vice-chairman of the Green Bay Water Commission, was against allowing the Central Brown County Water Authority until Aug. 25 to prove its numbers stack up, wanting a decision by Tuesday. He was, however, persuaded, in part by Mayor Jim Schmitt, to give in. Schmitt, who resumed talks with the suburbs Thursday, expressed concern that the suburbs had given up on aquifer storage and recovery, where treated water is stored in underground wells. The authority voted not to recommend ASR to members because of delays and future risks in the unproven technology. "I was informed their No. 1 goal was a shared facility, not ASR," Schmitt said. "That causes me great concern when our goals aren't the same." He said his goal was to take care of the city's water needs. "If we can help the suburbs as well as Green Bay, we should look into that," he said. The two sides had talked until two weeks ago, when the suburbs riled Green Bay by going to the state Public Service Commission to ask it to intervene in the talks. Green Bay broke off negotiations, coming back when the authority voted Wednesday to drop the request to the PSC. Green Bay Water Utility comptroller Keith Mueller also said he had doubts about the numbers the authority had presented in comparing its options. He said the depreciation costs were too low and did not match normal government depreciation figures. As a wholesale seller of water to communities, the CBCWA does not have to match those government standards. Schmitt suggested the bookkeeping change was done to make rates more attractive to the communities that have to sign purchase contracts with the authority. The Green Bay Water Utility, meanwhile, will continue preparing a proposal to the PSC to boost capacity and continue use of its one pipeline, a proposal it announced to the City Council on Tuesday. The authority met with suburban officials Thursday night to discuss the purchase contract. It binds signers to the authority as a sole supplier of water, but does not give them a say on how the authority gets the water. That concerned some officials. De Pere mayor Mike Walsh said his community likely would not approve the contract until it knew the status of the talks with Green Bay. Teresinski said he hoped to have a general idea of whether the talks would work out by the end of next week. Questions also were asked about existing wells for non-drinking water (for example, for lawn watering) and requirements to serve isolated areas in a suburb. The contract states a residence must use the authority-supplied water if it is within 1,000 feet of a connection or is connected to sanitary sewer. Existing wells before Oct. 1 can still be used for non-potable purposes, as can industrial wells built before that date.