What Will Wisconsin Do With All These Sandbags?

With river and lake levels still high, water-logged Wisconsinites probably are not thinking about getting rid of their sandbags quite yet. But they will have to eventually. What happens then?

At Oneida Park in Monona last week, volunteers wondered aloud about the fate of the sandbags.

“We’re asking the same question,” said Cottage Grove resident Marlyn Klongland. “I don’t have any idea.”

He and his wife spent a few hours adding to a mound of sandbags that, once water levels recede, will have to get ditched.

According to Dan Werner, a waste management specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, residents have a few options.

“If the sand has never been touched by floodwaters, you can consider that clean fill and use that in any fill situation as long as it’s not in a floodplain or in a wetland,” said Werner.

Homeowners can also mix the sand into concrete or mortar. But bags that have touched oil or gas should go to a landfill.

“After you handle them, make sure you wash your hands with soap and water and as soon as possible. Take a shower to make sure that you do have any contaminants that might have been there removed from your being,” he said.

Werner suggests stockpiling the sandbags for winter. If heavy rain turns to heavy snow, they’ll come in handy. Or, let the city take care of it. Madison officials say they will eventually collect them.