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Waste Water
About Waste Water
One of the Saukville WasteWater Treatment Facility's (WWTF) greatest challenges in providing quality effluent to the Milwaukee River is "I/I" - Inflow and Infiltration of stormwater into the the sanitary sewer system. Inflow is when clear water, usually rainfall, from illegal connections of sump pumps, down spouts, and foundation drains is channeled directly into sanitary sewer pipes. Infiltration is when groundwater seeps into sewer pipes via cracks or leaky joints.
Because the sanitary sewer system was not designed to manage this excess clear water, it becomes over-loaded during times of high groundwater or heavy rainfall. Wet weather can magnify inflow and infiltration sources. Once the sanitary sewer system reaches capacity, water may back up and potentially flood basements.
The Village Sewer System was designed and built for the purpose of conveying water and human waste to the treatment plant. Sinks, toilets, and sewer drains are not trash cans. Sewage treatment plants are designed to remove organics from raw wastewater - anything non-biodegradable or toxic may not receive proper treatment or may even have an impact on the overall function of the treatment facility. We all need to take care in what we put down our drains!
Building Sewer Maintenance & Repair
View a brochure (PDF) on how to maintain your sanitary sewer service lateral.
Sump Pumps
Please remember to check your sump pump and make sure it is hooked up correctly to the sump pump discharge lateral and not to the sanitary sewer system. Per Village Ordinance, it is illegal to hook-up or discharge storm water or clear water into the Village’s sanitary sewer lines. Since all discharges to the sanitary sewer end up at the treatment plant, this creates additional problems to properly process the wastewater for eventual discharge to the river. If you have any questions, please call the Utility Department at 262-284-3185.
In 1981, Saukville completed an upgrade and expansion of its Wastewater Treatment Facility. An interceptor sewer was constructed under the Milwaukee River to convey wastewater from the west-side of the Village of Saukville to the treatment facility. Through the years, the facility went through upgrades and modifications, including conversion of one of two treatment package plants to find bubble aeration, construction of a sludge press building, and a sludge storage facility.
In 1998, the Village began facility planning for expansion of the Wastewater Treatment Facility to accommodate growth for the next 20 years. Design for the expanded facility began in 1999; constructed started in early 2000; and substantial completion was achieved in Fall 2002. After completion, the facility occupies the entire original 7-acre plant site. The Village obtained additional land for future expansion.
In 2020-2021 the Village began facilities planning and engineering for another Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrade. The upgrade consisted of two projects. The Project #1- included constructing a new filter building, which houses two banks of cloth filters and a chemical storage tank. The filters were installed to meet new more stringent limits for phosphorus and total suspended solids mandated by the Wisconsin DNR. Project #2- included replacing aging building roofs, flooring, HVAC, and electrical. Process work included Lift stations, SCADA, new pumps, clarifier rebuilding, oxidation ditch drives, motors, bearings and painting. Construction started March of 2022 and substantial completion was June 2023.
The project cost was $5.73 million. Funding was obtained through a Clean Water Fund loan at 2% The Village also received $1.7 million in principal forgiveness as part of the loan.
DIGGERS HOTLINE - Wisconsin One-Call Center: 811 or 1-800-242-8511