Revised Sewer Plan Cuts $18 Million; Could be Approved Late May

A downsized version of Shorewood’s proposed sewer plan was revisited Monday, including a look at what the comprehensive project will cost residents with new  numbers.

Village Manager Chris Swartz presented the new plan, aimed at addressing problematic sewers that couldn’t handle severe rainfall last July, But on Monday, he released revised numbers that shave more than $18 million from the cost of the original plan.

Now, the plan will cost $34.11 million as opposed to the original $52.27 million. Swartz said these numbers don’t include inflation, while the $71.5 million cost officials were using for the original sewer plan did.

The plan also focuses on doing the work over a 10-year span, while much of the original plan had repairs stretched out over 20 years. Swartz said the major work would be completed in 10 years, while some of the lateral work would continue after the first decade.

The plan will still hit homeowner’s pocketbooks in a variety of way, including:

• An extra $49 on 2012’s property tax bill for a home assessed at $300,000. That figure will increase to $107 annually by 2016 and $134 by 2021.
• A sanitary sewer fee increase of $83 in 2012, which would increase to $159 by 2016 and $143 by 2021.
• An increase in resident's stormwater user fee in 2012 of $56, $90 in 2016 and $94 in 2021.
• Some residents’ homes will be selected to have work done on their laterals, with a direct cost of $2,000. The lateral work is estimated to cost $6,000 but a Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District grant is to cover $2,000 and the other $2,000 is to be cover by an increase in the tax levy.

Swartz said the plan is to identity the homes most in need of lateral rehabilitation work through a technique called die testing used to evaluate the performance of laterals.

As the village’s original plan changed, so did the way it planned to fund it. Now, 90 percent of the plan will be funded through user fees, with 5 percent coming for the tax levy and the remaining 5 percent funded through MMSD grants and special assessments.

Funding through an increase in the tax levy and special assessment dropped significantly. Swartz said it wasn't because the village is anticipating it wouldn't be allowed to increased its tax levy as a result of Gov. Scott Walker's proposed 2011-2013 budget bill, which puts a freeze on the levy.

The original plan focused heavily on separating combined sanitary and stormwater sewers in much of Shorewood east of North Oakland Avenue. The new approach still calls for building a new stormwater sewer in that area, but it will focus on rain runoff on the street, which will be directed toward the Milwaukee River instead of Lake Michigan.

Swartz said directing rainwater toward the Milwaukee River proved to be a less expensive option.

“The river was actually more efficient system and less expensive… since we don’t have to go uphill,” Swartz said.

West of North Oakland Avenue, storm water will drain to the Milwaukee River and the already separated sewer system would see increased capacity.

The Village Board is expected to decide at a May 31 meeting whether to approve the sewer plan and award engineering to proceed with a full design.

Officials would then seek required permits and start the project in June 2012.

However, some work will start as soon as this summer. As part of the village’s road program for North Downer Avenue is underway, they will work on stormwater sewers in the area. The work will run from June to early November, and some Downer Avenue residents won't have access to their driveways as work is completed, Director of the Department of Public Works Leeann Butschlick said. The work won't include the whole area, however.

The village still plans to focus on four goals:

• Provide sewer backup protection for 2 inches of rain in one hour in the whole village by 2015.
• In the long term, provide backup protection for 4 inches of rain in 1 hour.
• Separate currently combined storm and sanitary sewers by 2035.
• Reduce street flooding throughout the village to prevent pooling water from coming within 2 feet of any building opening during 3-inch-per-hour rainfall by 2020.

with analyzing the village’s sewer plan and officials released a tweaked plan at a special sewer meeting. Each firm focused on one corner of the village, giving revised recommendations to the original sewer plan. 

Swartz said any new development in Shorewood wouldn’t be issue with the village’s sewers because a strain on the sanitary isn’t the issue but leaking stormwater pipes are the problem.

The proposed plan is subject to MMSD limitations. Swartz explained after sewer repairs are made, the system will remove water from the village's system quicker, but MMSD's system wouldn't be able handle the flow.

"If we get it to them faster, they won't be to keep up with it," Swartz said. "Their system is not designed for a 100-year flood, so if we design our system for a 100-year flood, they won't be able to take it."

The village said in the past that it would ask MMSD to allow the village’s sewers to drain into its system while work to separate sewers is under way.