STATE OF WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES PUBLIC NOTICE OF INTENT TO REISSUE A WISCONSIN POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (WPDES) PERMIT No.WI-0023221-09-0 Permittee: City of Appleton, 2006 East Newberry St, Appleton, WI, 54915-2758 Facility Where Discharge Occurs: Appleton Wastewater Treatment Facility, 2006 East Newberry St, Appleton, Wisconsin Receiving Water And Location: Lower Fox River in the Fox River/Appleton Watershed of the Fox River Basin (lower) in Outagamie County Brief Facility Description and Summary of Proposed Changes: The City of Appleton owns and operates an advanced, secondary, biological activated sludge wastewater treatment facility (WWTF). The Appleton WWTF (hereafter "Appleton") is designed for a hydraulic, annual average flow of 15.5 million gallons per day (MGD). Treatment processes consist of fine screening, grit removal, primary clarification, activated sludge-contact stabilization, and final clarification. Seasonal disinfection is achieved with liquid Sodium Hypochlorite addition in 2 chlorine contact chambers. Dechlorination is accomplished by the addition of liquid Sodium Bisulfite. Phosphorus is precipitated chemically with the addition of ferric chloride. During typical operating conditions, effluent is discharged by gravity through outfall 001 (60" diffuser) to the south bank of the Fox River, approximately 0.75 mi east of the College Ave./Highway 125 bridge. However, during periods when high river flows prevent gravity discharge, three effluent screw pumps at pump station #1 convey effluent to the outfall chamber. This then flows by gravity to the 60" diffuser. If flows continue to be excessive, the outfall chamber surcharges into the outfall relief structure. That effluent volume discharges by gravity to the river through a separate 48" outfall main, adjacent to the diffuser. If flows are still unmanageable for the first two outfall pipes, three centrifugal pumps at pump station #2 draw from the effluent end of chlorine contact tank #2. These discharge to the river through a 36" outfall main. This pipe is situated 400 feet upstream from station #1. Polymer is added to the waste activated sludge (WAS), which is then conditioned by one of two dissolved air flotation thickeners (DAF). Primary sludge, WAS and hauled waste from the facility receiving station are then mixed and pre-heated and sent to one of two egg-shaped primary anaerobic digesters, for pathogen control and volatile solids reduction. Digested solids are then pumped to one of three belt filter presses for final dewatering, with the resultant Class B cake transferred by the combined conveyor to the onsite storage facility. Hauling and land application, are performed by private contract. Land application sites are approved by facility staff. The facility has also developed and operates a successful, department-approved, biosolids-compost program. Class B cake is hauled from the biosolids storage building at the treatment facility to a compost site located at the Outagamie County Landfill at where it is mixed with yard waste and/or wood chips and composted in aerated windrows to produce a Class A biosolids-compost product that is available for public use. Biosolids-compost product that does not meet Class A EQ requirements is land applied as Class B sludge. Permit Drafter's Name, Address, Phone and Email: Jennifer Jerich, DNR, Mailing address: Lisa Creegan, 3911 Fish Hatchery Road, Fitchburg, WI, 53711 (920) 450-4078, Jennifer.Jerich@wisconsin.gov Basin Engineer's Name, Address, Phone and Email: Barti Oumarou, 625 E County Road Y, Suite 700, Oshkosh, WI 54901, (920) 424-4013, Barti.Oumarou@wisconsin.gov The Department has tentatively decided that the above-specified WPDES permit should be reissued. Limitations and conditions which the Department believes adequately protect the receiving water are included in the proposed permit. Land application of waste shall be done in accordance with permit conditions and applicable codes. All land application sites shall be approved prior to their use. To receive a list of approved sites, or to be notified of potential approvals, contact the above-named basin engineer. Persons wishing to comment on or object to the proposed permit action, or to request a public hearing, may write to the Department of Natural Resources at the above-named permit drafter's address. All comments or suggestions received no later than 30 days after the publication date of this public notice will be considered along with other information on file in making a final decision regarding the permit. Anyone providing comments in response to this public notice will receive a notification of the Department's final decision when the permit is issued. Where designated as a reviewable surface water discharge permit, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is allowed up to 90 days to submit comments or objections regarding this permit determination. If no comments are received on the proposed permit from anyone, including U.S. EPA, the permit will be issued as proposed. The Department may schedule a public informational hearing if requested by any person and shall schedule a public informational hearing if a petition requesting a hearing is received from 5 or more persons or if response to this notice indicates significant public interest pursuant to s. 283.49, Wis. Stats. Requests for a public informational hearing shall state the following: the name and address of the person(s) requesting the hearing; the interest in the proposed permit of the person(s) requesting the hearing; the reasons for the request; and the issues proposed to be considered at the hearing. Information on file for this permit action, including the draft permit, fact sheet and permit application, may be inspected and copied at either the above-named permit drafter's office or the above named basin engineer's office, Monday through Friday (except holidays), between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Please call the permit drafter or basin engineer for directions to their office location, if necessary. Information on this permit action may also be obtained by calling the permit drafter at (920) 450-4078 or by writing to the Department. Reasonable costs (15 cents per page for copies and 7 cents per page for scanning) will be charged for information in the file other than the public notice, permit and fact sheet. Permit information is also available on the internet at: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/wastewater/PublicNotices.html. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be made to qualified individuals upon request. PUBLISHING NEWSPAPER: Post Crescent, 306 W Washington St., Appleton, WI 54911-4745 Date Notice Issued: November 20, 2025 WNAXLP November 20 2025 LWIX0409513