Germantown accepts study recommending major upgrades, new generators and second force mains for two lift stations

Germantown's Public Works Committee accepted a consultant study on upgrades to the Old Farm and Main Street sewage lift stations after a detailed presentation and discussion about costs, grant opportunities and timing.

The study, presented July 9 by consulting engineer Dave Arnott, lays out building, mechanical and electrical upgrades intended to extend the life of both stations roughly four decades. Arnott said the stations were built in the late 1980s and have received only minor updates since then. He recommended new motor control centers, variable-frequency drives, upgraded switchgear, and replacement of existing standby generators with larger units located in separate adjacent buildings because the current generator rooms lack space.

The study also recommends mechanical work: replacement of plug and check valves, pump bearing and impeller work at Main Street, and full pump replacements at Old Farm with 150-horsepower units to meet projected 2050 peak-hour flows. Both stations would receive pipeline work to add redundancy: a new 20-inch, ~2,700-foot force main for Main Street and a new 30-inch force main along the Old Farm route, with lining of the existing pipes once the new mains are commissioned.

Arnott said the sanitary sewer facilities plan that informed the study has been submitted to the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; DNR approval was still pending at the meeting. He said the village should aggressively pursue grant and low-interest loan funding, specifically the Wisconsin DNR Clean Water Fund Program, which can include both principal forgiveness (grant) and subsidized loan components. Arnott presented a conservative “worst-case” estimate for rate impacts that did not assume Clean Water Fund assistance; he said the example $161 annual increase stated in the packet would be reduced if the village secures program funding.

Committee members pressed on contingency amounts and project phasing. Arnott explained the study’s 30% contingency is broken into roughly 10% construction contingency for change orders, 2% legal set-aside and 18% for engineering services (design, bidding, construction review, administration). Multiple trustees asked about generator fuels and emergency run times; Arnott said the existing units are diesel, and the study assumes new generators on natural gas but that fuel choice could be revisited.

Committee members and staff emphasized operator safety: Arnott and Tim (public works director) described existing manual entry into wet wells three to four times per week to clear rags and debris. The study includes automatic screening buildings upstream of each wet well with washer-compactor systems to reduce manual confined-entry work and improve worker safety.

On sequencing, Arnott and staff proposed combined design for both stations and splitting construction so Old Farm would be constructed first (2027) and Main Street in 2028; doing Old Farm first also aligns with Division Road work planned for 2027. The committee discussed phasing the work so the village could choose to do only Old Farm earlier to limit near-term borrowing or cash commitments.

The committee voted to accept the Rookert and Milke (consultant) draft study. The acceptance vote was unanimous on the record. Committee members noted next steps: formally accept the report, include design funding in the 2026 budget (to be funded from the sewer utility, to be determined whether by cash or borrowing), and pursue Clean Water Fund and other grant/loan programs to reduce rate impacts.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Accept Rookert and Milke draft study for Old Farm and Main Street lift stations. Motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved (unanimous as recorded).