Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utility updates: operations center permit wait, EPA grant, hydrant repainting and summer project status
Summary
The Waukesha Water Utility reported progress on the new operations center (building permit pending), continued coordination with EPA on a $4 million grant, a WIFIA submittal for $581,000, and a contract to repaint up to 1,000 hydrants with online tracking of progress.
At its Aug. 21 meeting, the Waukesha Water Utility Commission received updates on capital projects and operations, including progress on a new operations center, federal grant activity, a hydrant repainting program and multiple water-main projects across the city.
Operations center: staff said site excavation is under way and a chain-link construction fence will be erected once the building permit is issued. Kelly (staff member) said the permit is moving slowly through city departments and staff hope to receive it the following week, which would allow foundation work to begin. Staff also said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing grant funding for the project and will perform a traditional site visit on Sept. 10.
Grants and finance: staff reported continued work finalizing a $4,000,000 EPA grant for the project (described in the meeting as a grant, not a loan) and said the utility submitted WIFIA-related long-term debt paperwork and received $581,000 as a first submittal for the operations center project.
Hydrant repainting: the utility started a program to sandblast, prime and paint hydrants and has budgeted for 1,000 hydrants. Crews are using a GIS-linked dashboard so the public can see progress; primed hydrants appear as red on the dashboard and painted hydrants appear yellow. Matt (staff member) said the contractor can average 2025 hydrants a day depending on condition and that the paint system selected (including zinc additives in salt-exposed areas) is expected to last about 15 years.
Construction and pipeline projects: staff updated the commission on multiple active projects: Silverdale Road realignment (water main installed; bacteriological sampling pending on a portion), Green Meadow (water work complete; road and landscaping pending), Silvernail Road (water work complete; road work ongoing), Gascoigne Drive (main in, services ongoing), Arrowhead Trail (project delayed; eminent-domain work with attorney; likely pushed to next year), Fox River Parkway and related resurfacing (main and services largely installed; final tie-ins pending), and Porter/Frederick and other tieovers that will abandon old 6-inch mains in favor of 12-inch mains. Staff said several tieovers and abandonment tasks were accelerated to reduce the number of remaining small-diameter mains.
Administrative items: staff also reported a pending lawsuit with depositions expected to begin in September, continued work on a rate case and the 2026 capital budget, and that the utility expects the first contractor invoices for the new operations center next month.
