Commission recommends repeal and replacement of wellhead protection rules after public hearing

The commission held a public hearing and discussion on proposed amendments to the village's wellhead protection overlay ordinance on Jan. 27, then voted to recommend that the Village Board repeal and replace the existing rules with a model based on groundwater modeling and recharge‑zone mapping.

Staff described an update to the village's wellhead protection plan, prepared with the Wisconsin Rural Water Association and reviewed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The updated plan replaces the prior uniform 1,200‑foot circles around wells with capture‑zone modeling intended to reflect where groundwater actually recharges each municipal well. Staff said the DNR reviewed and approved the modeling techniques and that, in many places, the new capture zones will be stricter than the prior 1,200‑foot circles; in some places they will be narrower.

During the public hearing Melinda Murphy, a Windsor homeowner and attorney, urged commissioners to pause and withhold any recommendation until independent hydrology, water‑demand and cumulative environmental studies are completed. She said the proposed ordinance changes, if adopted now, would create risk by changing boundaries and by converting some conditional uses into prohibited uses without sufficient public analysis.

Staff response and commission action: Staff said the work began in 2024 with the Wisconsin Rural Water Association and was finalized in August 2025 and that the DNR reviewed and approved the revised model and recommended zone parameters. Commissioners asked technical questions about minimum radii, DNR guidance on 5‑year capture zones and how new zones could affect projects previously approved under the 1,200‑foot rule. Staff said the ordinance would immediately replace the 1,200‑foot circles with the modelled recharge areas (DNR guidance allows use of a minimum 600‑foot radius when groundwater modeling is used and suggests a 200‑foot minimum otherwise).

The vote: After discussion the commission moved to recommend repeal and recreation of the wellhead protection ordinance; the motion passed 7‑0. Commissioners and staff agreed they would continue to refine technical details and that future test wells and modeling updates (for example for a planned test well the village intends to drill) would prompt additional adjustments.

Next steps: The commission's recommendation will go to the Village Board for final action, and staff said the village will continue to coordinate with DNR technical reviewers. Several residents asked the board to require additional independent studies prior to final adoption.