Mayor's Update February 20, 2021

Greetings!  As Waupun continues to grow and as WI-DNR requirements continue to increase, we are seeing more storm water ponds appear across the city.  We do not often explain why ponds are constructed and I thought it would be helpful to talk a little about what our storm water requirements are as a community to provide some perspective.  For reference, storm water ponds improve water quality and storm water capacity control, as mandated by state and local ordinances. Our storm sewer system is served by a number of pipes laid underground below streets. Unlike sanitary sewers that collect wastewater from homes and businesses and convey it to a wastewater treatment plant, storm sewers are separate pipes that collect storm water runoff from inlets, catch basins, or drains located along street curbs and in parking areas.  Our storm water is discharged into the Rock River, eventually making its way to the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. Storm water can pollute our natural waterways. Contaminated storm water is the most significant contributor of pollutants to Wisconsin's urban waters. These types of pollutants can harm fish and wildlife populations, kill native vegetation, foul drinking water supplies, and make recreational areas unsafe and unpleasant.  The WI-DNR regulates runoff and annually the city reports work we do to mitigate the risk of runoff.  The WI-DNR also sets standards that require additional infrastructure to reduce pollution of waterways.  These standards require our DPW to provide routine street sweeping, yard waste pickup, educate residents about the importance of keeping grass clippings out of the streets and storm sewer, and the addition of storm water ponds around the city.  Over time the city will need to construct in excess of 25 new ponds to address storm water quality issues and meet current DNR standards.  The estimated cost of our storm water management plan is in excess of $9 million.  Our next storm water pond will be constructed in 2021 near Oak Lane and Harmsen Avenue.  Many people think that storm water ponds help contain flooding but that is not their primary purpose.  These ponds act as filtration basins to reduce pollutants in runoff and, as such, each has a murky bottom of sediment.  The ponds bring a number of safety concerns for our community.  While each pond is built with a safety shelf around its perimeter to deter people from entering the pond, there are increased concerns that arise during the winter.  Because the ponds collect runoff and other roadway contaminants that contain things like deicing solution, ice on ponds is often unstable.  In preparation for emergencies related to ponds and ice, our fire department recently underwent ice water rescue training to learn about hypothermia, ice safety, ice rescue equipment, communications, operations, and the tactics needed in the event someone would fall through the ice and need assistance. Taking the lead to bring this new capability to Waupun Fire Department were four of our volunteer fire fighters, including Joe Barnes, Selena Rosales, Emily Truttmann, and Mike Tuler.  Each underwent extensive training to become a certified trainer and I thank them and all of our volunteers for their commitment to ongoing learning.  This will be an ongoing focus of our volunteer fire department as we work to prepare staff and adapt our capabilities in response to our changing landscape.   Finally, we have been asked about the possibility of fencing storm water ponds to prevent hazards.  Fencing would not fully restrict access, would be expensive to install and maintain, and could hamper access for emergency personnel in the event of an accident or emergency.  I share the above because I believe that education is critical.  Please take time to talk with your family about the purpose and potential hazards associated with storm water ponds around our community. 

In follow up to last week’s article, we continue to see changes with COVID-19 and vaccine roll out.  Please visit the city’s website and click on the COVID-19 banner at the top of the page.  You will find the latest information by accessing the community resources tab of that page.  Stay safe and we’ll talk again soon Waupun!