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Port Washington council approves sanitary-sewer expansion to accommodate proposed data center campus
Summary
The Common Council voted to adopt a sanitary sewer service area amendment adding about 674 acres north of the city to accommodate a proposed data center campus; council also adopted related annexation cleanup and accepted the wastewater systemCMAR report.
The City of Port Washington Common Council on June 17 approved a resolution expanding the city's sanitary sewer service area by roughly 674 acres to accommodate a proposed data center campus north of the city's current sewer boundary.
The move followed a public hearing at which no members of the public spoke for or against the change. The council adopted Resolution 2025-O6 following a staff presentation and a recommendation from the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC).
City staff said the proposed addition is generally bounded by Lake Drive to the north, the Ozaukee Interurban Trail to the west, County Highway LL to the east and Interstate 43 to the east, and would enable sewer service for the data center campus. Bob (city staff) told council members the commission found no anticipated increase in permanent population tied to the project and concluded the city wastewater treatment plant has adequate capacity to treat flows from the proposed addition, provided applicable federal and state permits are obtained.
Mayor (name not specified) framed the decision as an early, necessary planning step to allow future annexations and development negotiations, and said city staff and consultants will continue work on a developer's agreement and forecasting models before the council's planned July work session.
The council also approved a housekeeping ordinance (Ordinance 2025-14) correcting ward and supervisory-district designations for parcels included in a recent annexation and adopted Resolution 2025-O7 certifying the city's review of its Compliance Maintenance Annual Report (CMAR), the state-required wastewater utility report. Staff said the CMAR shows the plant meeting permit limits with capacity remaining for additional development.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to approve the consent agenda (minutes and monthly invoices): approved (motion carried; mover/second not specified in the record). - Resolution 2025-O6, adopt sanitary sewer service area amendment (approx. 674 acres): moved by Alderman Dan Benning; second by Alderman Casper; outcome: approved. - Ordinance 2025-14, amend prior annexation to correct ward/supervisory district: motion to suspend rules and adopt on first reading moved by Alderman Dan Benning; second not specified for suspension; adoption moved by Alderman Dan Benning and seconded by Alderman Postle; outcome: approved. - Resolution 2025-O7, accept the wastewater utilities Compliance Maintenance Annual Report (CMAR): moved by Alderman Dan Benning; seconded by Alderman Tierney; outcome: approved.
Why it matters: expanding the sanitary sewer service area is a required technical step before the city can provide sewer service to property that would host the proposed data center campus. Staff and SEWRPC said the addition is consistent with the city's recently updated comprehensive plan, and the DNR will review any formal amendment after local approvals.
City staff and several council members said the action does not finalize annexation or fiscal agreements; rather, it preserves the municipal option to serve the area while staff continues drafting a developer's agreement and forecasting infrastructure and service impacts. Mayor (name not specified) said the city will present recommendations at a planned July work session and is coordinating with neighboring Mount Pleasant and state-level advocates on issues such as levy-limit implications for rapidly growing communities.
Council members asked how future, phased annexations would be handled. City staff and SEWRPC representatives said each future extension or annexation would follow the same statutory and administrative process (public hearing, local resolution, SEWRPC review and DNR approval) and recommended that the council keep the comprehensive plan updated to support future service-area requests.
Ending
The council scheduled a potential public work session for July 22 to review developeragreement priorities, forecasting models and related recommendations. The sewer service-area resolution and the CMAR certifying the council's review will be forwarded to the regional commission and then to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for final action.
