Pewaukee schedules April 30 public meeting on future water supply amid well failures and PFAS detections

The Pewaukee Public Works Committee announced a public information meeting for April 30 to collect community input on a study of future water service options, a staff member said at the committee meeting.

The study, described as the second phase of water-facility disaster planning, is intended to document current conditions, evaluate alternatives and satisfy a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources requirement under NR 854, the staff member said. A consultant from Strand will present at 6 p.m. with storyboards showing system issues and options.

Committee members and staff said the study will examine aquifer conditions, the need for additional wells, and a wide range of supply options — including quarry water, surface water sources and a potential diversion from the Great Lakes basin. A staff member cautioned that a Great Lakes diversion would require approval by the Great Lakes Compact and the DNR and would require return-flow arrangements, likely via treatment plants. The committee said the study will inform a later recommendation to the Common Council on which alternatives to pursue.

Officials said the study also recognizes external requests and constraints: a separate request from the Lisbon/North Side to join Pewaukee's service area has been included in the analysis, and the village of Pewaukee has been part of ongoing talks about shared solutions. The staff member said both the village and the city currently have PFAS detections in their wells and are exploring options such as merged systems or shared wells.

Strand’s presentation and storyboards are intended to clarify geological conditions — including shallow and deep well viability — and to present treatment and conveyance options. Committee members said a second public meeting will follow the initial session to present draft findings and proposed next steps before staff returns to the Common Council for direction.

Why it matters: repeated well collapses, pump failures and contamination episodes are limiting the city’s current capacity, and the study will feed legally required planning and future council decisions about investment and regional coordination.