An Oneida County panel is giving Minocqua officials another chance to review a proposed water bottling plant in Minocqua and the conditional use permit that’s needed.
Minocqua businessman Trygve (Trig) Solberg and fellow investor Robert Rynders wanted to draw water from a well in Presque Isle and truck it to Minocqua for bottling. However, after learning doing so would violate terms of the Great Lakes Compact they abandoned that water source.
Yesterday, the group’s representative told the Planning and Development Committee they were seeking another source for that water. The proposed locations were not disclosed.
Minocqua Town Chairman Mark Hartzheim said he wants the matter back in the hands of the town board, largely to see if developers are considering a well in his township.
“Now that we know the remote well is not in play anymore, we have a whole different level of concern. I think it changes everything. It was represented by the applicant that the source of water was not coming from the town of Minocqua, but rather a remote site in Vilas County.” The plan commission nor the town board do not address any potential effects on groundwater for that reason”.
Solberg told WXPR this week the amount of water he plans to take is nowhere near the limits on high-capacity wells.
The Oneida County committee returned the matter to Minocqua for more deliberation.
