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Muskego officials report major flood damage to Jensen Park lift station and Gold Drive culvert; state of emergency remains
Summary
City staff told the Muskego Common Council on Aug. 26 that the Jensen Park sanitary lift station was inundated and a culvert on Gold Drive washed out; staff will return with requests for emergency funds and are working with engineers and the DNR.
Muskego City staff told the Common Council on Aug. 26 that heavy flooding inundated the Jensen Park sanitary lift station and washed out a culvert on Gold Drive, and the mayor said the city remains under a state of emergency while officials assess repairs and funding options.
Scott, a city staff member in the mayor’s office, said city and state teams inspected three “hot spot” areas and have begun public assistance (PA) damage assessments. "A Jensen Park lift station had 5 feet of water above it. That caused it to be inundated, and it was shut down for about ... 16 hours," Scott said. He said the station’s generator was submerged and failed but pumps are working now.
The memo to council identified the Jensen Park facility as one of the city’s larger lift stations and said staff will seek emergency funding for repairs. "I will be back, probably relatively soon with emergency request for emergency funds to get that repaired, rather quickly," Scott said.
Mayor said the city remains under a state of emergency largely because of the uncertainty around the Jensen Park station. "We still are under a state of emergency ... mainly because of that lift station," the mayor said, adding the declaration is intended to protect potential state or federal funding eligibility. He later added that state law was changed so declaring an emergency is not always required for some actions, but said the city is keeping the designation because federal nuances are unclear.
Scott also reported that a culvert on Gold Drive was washed away and that about half of the roadway was affected. "The culvert pipe got blown away, and the half of Gold Drive got washed out. So we are working with contractors, engineers, and the DNR on how to get that repaired and replaced ASAP," he said.
Council discussion included operational and next-step details rather than votes. The mayor said staff will return to the council with cost estimates and a repair plan, likely at the next meeting or sooner, and asked members to email objections if they opposed continuing the emergency declaration. The mayor thanked Alderman Bryce for assisting county assessment teams with door-to-door outreach to affected residents.
What happens next: city staff will complete damage estimates, work with engineers and the DNR on Gold Drive repairs, and present an emergency funding request to the council once costs are known. Meanwhile the Jensen Park lift station will be monitored closely in case pumps or other systems fail.
