Hearing set for $18M Port water plant project

A public hearing on the $18.3 million project to renovate Port Washington’s water plant will be held at City Hall from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 8.

Plans for the project are 90% complete and are currently under review by the Department of Natural Resources, Water Supt. Dan Fisher told the Common Council Tuesday.

Representatives of Short Elliot Hendrickson Inc., a consultant working on the project for the city, will meet with DNR  officials next week to discuss the plans, Fisher said.

At the same time, he said, the city is working with We Energies to remove or relocate the gas and electrical feed lines to the plant in preparation for the project.

Because the plant will be losing one of the emergency feeds, he said, the city may want to consider buying a portable 250-kilowatt generator for emergency use during the almost two-year construction project.

Although the generator would cost $80,000 to $90,000, he said, it could be sold after the work is complete if the city doesn’t have another use for it.

Ald. Mike Gasper asked if leasing a generator was a more practical approach, but Fisher said that the cost was prohibitive.

And, Fisher said, the city is in the process of getting quotes to remove asbestos from older portions of the plant.

At the same time, he said, the Public Service Commission is reviewing the city’s application for a rate increase.

Last year, the city agreed to apply to the PSC for a 40% to 45% rate increase over the next two years but officials warned that increase could go up even more.

That’s because the PSC typically seeks a rate of return of 5% or 6%, while the city is seeking a rate of return of 3%.

Fisher said he expects the PSC to make a final decision on the rate increase by June or July.

Fisher showed aldermen a rendering of what the expanded water plant could look like, noting that while the architectural style remains much the same, there are some differences.

There are five spots along stretches of walls where murals could be painted and brick used to frame them, he said.

He also noted that the city is looking to paint the building a blue grey “to match the lake and the skyline.”

“Are you keeping the old fountain on the west side of the building?” Ald. Paul Neumyer asked.

Yes, said Fisher.

Mayor Ted Neitzke, noting that much of the new addition has a flat roof, asked if the city considered installing a green roof — where vegetation is planted to reduce runoff from an impervious roof.

The DNR is “pretty firm” in turning down that idea, Fisher said, noting there is a tank under the roof where the finished water is stored.

“A vegetative roof was one of the first things we talked about,” Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven said.

Fisher told officials that work on the foundation will likely begin in August or September, with the bulk of construction taking place in 2024. The project should be completed in spring or summer of 2025. The project is needed to meet state codes and address deficiencies, primarily regarding backup power and changes to the clearwell, identified by the Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR had grandfathered the water plant on these issues in the past but recently decided to end this practice and require plants like Port’s to update their facilities.

The work is expected to extend the life of the aging plant — which still contains much of the original equipment — by 25 to 30 years.

The work includes constructing a new basin and equipment wing at the south end of the plant, adding an ultraviolet disinfection system and improving the overall electrical system, as well as adding a backup generator.