In order to bring a sustainable and safe new water supply to Waukesha, new infrastructure has to be built, including a booster pumping station and reservoirs. After thorough investigation and surveying with the goal of minimizing disruption to homeowners and the landscape, a corner of Minooka Park near Swartz Road and Racine Avenue has been chosen as the preferred location for the station and reservoirs.
This site was chosen because it is the least disruptive to existing neighborhoods, does not require cutting down any trees, or taking down any buildings and has the fewest neighboring homes. There is no other alternative that meets these criteria.
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. 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 Swartz Road and Racine Avenue. The tanks will be approximately 45 feet tall on the north side and 20 feet tall on the south side. The existing trees on the west and south portions of the property will be kept and are approximately 60 feet tall, enough to screen the tanks from view to the north and west.
The lighting of the booster pumping station will be minimal. Besides the entry gate pole mounted light (similar to the existing street light at the intersection of Racine Avenue and Swartz Road), 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. Since there are no homes within 500 feet of the property lines, no homes will be affected at the site. 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 New Berlin staff. If you are standing right at the property line, the noise level (62 dB) would be similar to that of a vacuum cleaner which is 70 decibels. There are 11 homes within 1,000 feet away; the noise level would be undetectable to them similar to a quiet conversation, which is 50 decibels.
Research shows that private wells will not be affected by this construction. An agreement between the City of New Berlin and the City of Waukesha will outline the protections for the City of New Berlin residents and next steps that would take place if there was an unexpected impact during construction.
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.