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Please note that beginning with the July 2015 billing cycle, all City of Oconto utility customers who are at risk of having utilities disconnected due to non-payment will no longer receive separate disconnection notices.

Instead, the disconnection notices and past due amounts will be included with the regular quarterly bills.  This is being done in an effort to save postage and reduce costs.

If you have any questions, please contact City Hall at 834-7711.

Thank you!

WWTP Roof RFP

Check out this picture of a newborn fawn submitted to us by a citizen from the “north side” who enjoys wild life such as turkeys, sand hill cranes, deer, mallard ducks in the water in the back yard, bears that roam at night, squirrels, etc. He states he has traveled to many places, but believes that Oconto (Jab Switch) is the “Garden Spot of the World.”

This letter will be arriving in the mail to all properties located in the City of Oconto.  We are also posting it here in an effort to make sure everyone is informed.

Important information about your Drinking Water

Levels of Radium, (226 + 228) in Oconto Waterworks water exceed standard

Dear Residents of the City of Oconto:

The City of Oconto’s Utility Commission has been informed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that Well # 7 located on VanHecke Ave in the City of Oconto has exceeded the Radium, (226 + 228) maximum contaminant level (MCL) based on four quarterly samples taken from Well 7 between April 2014 and March 2015. The average of these samples is 5.72 PCI/L, which exceeds the 5 PCI/L MCL for Radium, (226 + 228) as specified in ch. NR 809, Wis. Adm. Code.

Well 7 can remain in operation, but we have chosen to shut this well down, until a solution is found to keep the levels under the MCL. The City of Oconto has two other wells that will supply the City and its residents with safe drinking water.

What precautions should be taken at this time?

You DO NOT need to use an alternative (e.g. , bottled) water supply. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.

What does this mean?

This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. Some people who drink water containing radium 226 or 228 in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer. For example, if you drank 2 liters of water every day over a seventy year period with the above MCL’s you would have a one in 10,000 chance of getting cancer.

The number one priority of the City is to supply safe drinking water to its customers and will work with the D.N.R and its staff as well as other water specialists to resolve the problem as soon as possible. We will notify you when the problem is resolved.

If you have questions regarding the safety of our drinking water, please contact:

Jeremy Wusterbarth – Superintendent of Public Works & Utilities – 920-834-7725- jeremy@cityofoconto.com
1210 Main St – Oconto, WI 54153

I certify that the information and statements contained in this public notice are true and correct and have been provided to consumers in accordance with the delivery, content, format, and deadline requirements in Subchapter VII of ch. NR 809, Wis. Adm. Code.

Jeremy Wusterbarth, Superintendent of Public Works & Utilities

Here is a very informative report on the economic impact of sport fishing in America.  Oconto has premier facilities for fishermen and women of all ages!

ASASportfishing_in_America_Report_January_2013

Pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are all vulnerable to freezing, especially if there are cracks or openings that allow cold, outside air to flow across the pipes. Cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes should be sealed with caulking to keep cold wind away from the pipes. Kitchen and bathroom cabinets can keep warm inside air from reaching pipes under sinks and in adjacent outside walls. It’s a good idea to keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to let the warm air circulate around the pipes. Electric heating tapes and cables are available to run along pipes to keep the water from freezing. These must be used with extreme caution; follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to avoid the risk of fire

When away from the house for an extended period during the winter, be careful how much you lower the heat. A lower temperature may save on the heating bill, but there could be a disaster if a cold spell strikes and pipes that normally would be safe, freeze and burst.

Homeowners should also be aware of where there water service enters the house from the curb stop, which is generally located between the sidewalk and curb or generally 5 to 10 ft. behind the street. Residents sometimes clear to much snow off in front of their property’s, which will cause frost to penetrate faster and deeper, snow acts as a good insulator and should not be removed over water services, unless absolutely necessary.

Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail

With beautiful prairies, forests, and marshes, Wisconsin helped to inspire the great Aldo Leopold’s love of nature decades ago. Along this birding trail, the state continues to inspire birders today. Divided into five ecological regions, the trail spotlights 368 sites, many of which are also designated Important Bird Areas. Explore the route during fall migration and you’ll converge on natural corridors for southbound birds. Both the Lake Michigan and Mississippi-Chippewa rivers sections offer an abundance of choices for seeing massive movements. Warblers and shorebirds peak in early fall, followed by broad-winged hawks, peregrine falcons, and other raptors, and finally great flights of waterbirds. Tundra swans, canvasbacks, sandhill cranes, and bald eagles are among the birds that make Wisconsin unforgettable in late fall. For more: wisconsinbirds.org/trail/index.htm