Lake Pewaukee Sanitary District to add 6,922‑sq‑ft building; DNR loan to fund site upgrades

The Lake Pewaukee Sanitary District told the commission it plans a 6,922‑square‑foot addition to its Oak Street facility, including office and storage space, six overhead doors and a new lift station to handle increased flows from nearby development. "We did fortunately apply for a clean water fund loan from the DNR and was actually awarded to fund the whole project," the district official said.

The district described earlier engineering estimates that showed roughly $25 million in upgrades and two potential $6.5 million lift stations. To reduce cost and environmental risk, the district said it installed a force main that allows flows to be routed past the lake and reduces the need for larger stations closer to the shoreline. "We thought a little harder and out of the box and put a force main in from this site all the way past that other station," the presenter said, explaining the change reduces potential lake exposure and gives more capacity.

Why it matters: commissioners said the upgrades respond to increased development in the service area (including the Thomas Farm/Wellshire Farms subdivision) and noted the district limited building permits tied to completing system improvements. The project keeps the site's green‑space at about 43%, which staff said complies with the city's zoning ordinance, and the district said the work is moving quickly because it already has the funding commitment from the DNR.

Commissioners raised operational questions — storage and visibility of equipment, exterior lighting toward neighbors and accessibility between building levels — and the district said plans include cut‑off lighting to limit glare and a lift to access interior levels. Staff recommended and commissioners approved the site plan with the usual conditions (final engineering approval, erosion control and stormwater/utility plans). The commission recorded a motion and voted to approve the project at the meeting.