Waukesha Booster
Pumping Station

Booster Pumping Station - rendering

In order to bring a sustainable and safe new water supply to Waukesha, new infrastructure has to be built, including a booster pumping station, reservoirs, and a water tower.

On March 17, 2020 the cities of Waukesha and New Berlin officially agreed to work together to move Waukesha’s water supply program forward. As part of the agreement, the proposed booster pumping station (BPS) will not be built in Minooka Park in New Berlin, as initially intended, and will instead be located on Waukesha’s east-central side, near Broadway and Les Paul Parkway. With this agreement, the project can move forward on schedule, which is critical to bringing sustainable water to Waukesha in an affordable way.

About the site

BPS Ariel rendering

The Waukesha BPS location will use a portion of federal land that was given to the city for a planned city park. However, Waukesha has agreed to purchase some adjacent land that will be used to double the size of the planned park to approximately 35 acres.

About the station

  • The booster pumping station and reservoirs will be similar to those you find in other neighborhoods, such as 513 Crestwood in Waukesha and 27th and Puetz in Oak Creek. It simply pumps water from one place to another.
  • The water tower will also be similar to those you find in other neighborhoods, such as the tower at UW-Waukesha.
  • Landscaping around the booster pumping station and the 8.6 MG reservoir tanks will include evergreens and other trees that will screen the view of the tanks from Broadway. The tanks will be approximately 60 feet tall. Some of the existing trees on the west and south portions of the property will be kept as well to aid in the screening.
  • The lighting of the booster pumping station will be minimal. Besides the entry gate pole mounted light, the lighting around the booster pumping station will be 0.01 foot-candles at the ground, fifty times less than the maximum allowed. The measurement of light at the property line would be the same level of light as a night illuminated by a full moon and is not visible from 500 feet away. No lights at the booster pumping station will be positioned facing the sky or neighboring properties.
  • The only regular noise you will hear from the site is for the once a week testing of the on-site generator. The test will last for approximately 30 minutes during daytime. The time of the test will be coordinated with City of Waukesha staff. If you are standing right at the property line, the noise level (62 dB) will be similar to that of a vacuum cleaner which is 70 decibels.
  • Research also shows that pumping stations and reservoirs, commonly placed in neighborhoods across the country, do not affect the value of homes in the area according to studies by appraisal associations.

About construction

Construction will be underway from approximately 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and will be happening within the former Nike missile launch site property. Construction vehicles will need to access the site during those times. Project managers will employ a number of measures to minimize impact during this important construction project.