Washburn residents asked to reduce water usage

WASHBURN – Recent Snowmelt Threatens to Overwhelm Washburn Water Treatment Plant. The near record snowpack this has been a boon to those who love winter sports however now all that snow could cause some issues. The Ashland Daily Press reports Washburn is already experiencing some of those issues, with millions of gallons of snowmelt surging into the leaky sewer pipes at the water treatment plant and as a result, the storage basin is on the verge of overflowing into Chequamegon Bay. City Administrator Scott Kluver said the plant isn’t built to handle a multi-day event with that much water and expects the basin to start overflowing today. The Mayor of Washburn has asked residents to limit their water use as much as possible until the melt slows down.