Lift Station E (Ranch Road) Reconstruction

A new page has been created to provide weekly updates on the project Visit the Lift Station E Weekly Project Updates page to learn more about this project as it moves through design and into construction.

Lift Station E (Ranch Road) Reconstruction History:

In May 2024, the Sewer Utility District Commission (SUDC) authorized 2010 Ranch Road as the location for the construction of a new Lift Station E. Once in operation, the existing Lift Station E will be decommissioned.

The City received full regulatory approval on February 9, 2026. The approval letters are available under "Supporting Documents" at the end of this page.

Draft bidding documents and select drawings have been posted and are available under “Supporting Documents” at the bottom of this page. A partial plan set was uploaded as the full bid set is 34MB, which can be limiting for some viewers. If anyone is interested in viewing the entire plan set, or specific drawings identified in the Index of Drawings, please contact engineering [at] cityofmequonwi.gov (engineering[at]cityofmequonwi[dot]gov).

The full plan set and bid specifications will be provided to the Home Owner’s Association at a meeting to negotiate the easement and other legal documents. It is anticipated that meeting will take place during the week of February 16.

Planning Commission Approves Conditional Use Grant

On April 21, 2025, the Planning Commission approved a conditional use grant and approved the building and site plan for the lift station at 2010 Ranch Road. The approval was conditioned on the following:

Final staff review and approval of site, landscaping, elevations, and lighting plans prior to the issuance of permits.
All ground-level mechanical equipment shall be well screened from public view with screening or landscaping.
All wall packs shall be of a full cutoff design
The first-floor elevation of the building shall be elevated two feet above the base flood elevation.
A street tree shall be added at the location of the existing driveway.
If added impervious surface exceeds 5,000 square fee, then, prior to the issuance of a building permit, the applicant shall design and submit for review and approval a green infrastructure plan in conformance with MMSD rules and City ordinances.
Planning Commission approval of the reduction of the wetland protective area adjacent to the driveway to 28 feet, in exchange for a no-mow buffer or other approved water quality measure.
The applicant shall submit proof of DNR permitting for wetland fill prior to permit issuance, if applicable.
Application for and approval of a City erosion control permit conditioned upon WDNR issuance of a WRAPP permit, if applicable. The permit is required prior to the issuance of a building permit.

The Planning Commission submittal materials are available under "Supporting Documentation" and a link to the agenda packet is posted under "Legislative History".

Public comment reiterated concerns surrounding the odor and noise of the new lift station, as well as proper screening and landscaping. In addition, addressing the HOA fees and requirements were also cited by the public. If residents have questions or concerns regarding the submittal, please consider communicating directly to klundeen [at] cityofmequonwi.gov (Kristen Lundeen).

Past Public Comment/Participation Opportunities:

2025 "Save the Perennials" October 13, 2025 - Several property owners within the neighborhood participated in this event, offered by the City of Mequon to preserve and relocate perennials and flowers prior to demolition of the home and construction of the new lift station.

Onsite Meeting Thursday, May 29, 2025 - The City hosted an onsite neighborhood meeting at 6:00pm on Thursday, May 29. There was no formal presentation or agenda for the meeting.
Sewer Utility staff and members of the design team answered residents' questions and offered a tour of the property, including survey staking for: building corners, driveway, tree removal and tree planting, additional street tree required by PC, and other critical design features.

Some of the discussion included:

Concerns with the dust, noise, construction traffic and duration of construction. Staff acknowledged that this will be a disruption to the neighborhood. Staff noted that more information will become available once the project is bid and a contract awarded. The selected contractor can outline work zone protection and schedule.
Concerns with drainage and flooding. Staff noted that this is a sanitary sewer project largely driven by capacity issues during wet weather events. However, replacement of the lift station will not address any ground level water/drainage. The lift station project is next in a series of projects that will address sanitary sewer surcharging during wet weather events, but not address surface level drainage.
Questions regarding the easement. Once the design for the connection between the underground infrastructure and new lift station is complete, the City Attorney will generate amended
Restoration of area surrounding existing lift station, after the lift station is decommissioned. The existing lift station is within the modeled floodplain and therefore any work is subject to WDNR approval. If permitted, the City will blend the area in with the natural state of the rest of the outlot.
Questions regarding the final status of the existing driveway to the lift station. While the design, including the decommissioning of the existing station are still pending, it is clear that access to the existing infrastructure will still be required. However, use of the driveway will be less frequent. The City will consider pulverizing the pavement and leaving in place to create the drive base with the installation of a grass driveway grid, finished with topsoil and grass seeding for the topsoil/grass topping. The driveway grid provides a drive surface that will support vehicles and prevents rutting.
Project duration. It is anticipated that the project from demolition of the existing home, construction of the new lift station, connection of infrastructure to the new lift station, establishing service at the new lift station and decommissioning the existing lift station will take more than a year. Once the project is awarded, the contractor will submit a schedule that will be communicated to the public.
Request for the rear yard behind the lift station to be left natural and not mowed. DPW staff will coordinate with the Department of Community Development for the landscaping plan approvals to facilitate this request. Once a landscaping plan is generated, the plan will be shared with the neighborhood via the website.

Schedule (Subject to Change):

Easements and Covenants: TBD, pending legal and HOA review
Sewer Utility District Commission and MMSD Submittal: October 31, 2025
MMSD Approval: Forwarded to WDNR on November 4, 2025, final approval issued February 9, 2026
WDNR Approval: Wetland Disturbance approval granted February 5, 2026 and Sewerage System Improvement plan approval issued February 9, 2026 all documents are available under Supporting Documents
Advertise for Bids: February 2026
Bid Opening: March 2026
Contract Award: Estimated as April 14, 2026

Project Scope

Please see the "Project History" section below for all of the efforts up until the current design efforts. The information below is more of an order of events than an actual schedule. As the design moves through the following critical milestones, the webpage will be updated with specific dates.

Evaluate Standby Power Alternatives

The design team will evaluate the two stand-by power alternatives:

Single utility service with permanent backup power generator
Two utility services with permanent backup power generator

This work is underway. No additional on-site work is expected to complete this task.

Public Comment

Both the April 21 Planning Commission meeting and the neighborhood meeting provided opportunities for public comment. Residents not able to attend or who may prefer to communicate questions and concerns via email may do so any time here.

After the project transitions from design into construction, there will be another public information meeting to review the project schedule, discuss communication and coordination during construction, and expectations for the decommissioning of the existing lift station. If you would like to sign up the receive future communication regarding public information meetings, please click here and enter your information.

Demolition of the Home at 2010 Ranch Road

At this time, it is anticipated that the demolition of the home at 2010 Ranch Road will be incorporated into the construction project contract award. That process will include working with a charitable organization to reclaim any salvageable materials from the property. The website will be updated as the process moves forward.

Easements and Legal Documents

The City will ensure that property use and ownership conforms to City ordinances, state statutes and any applicable HOA covenants. The City and the HOA will meet the week of February 9 to review the proposed easement, which allows for an underground pipe to extend from the new lift station to the existing infrastructure through the outlot, as well as address the covenants.

Bidding

Post bid documents for bidding in February 2026:

Bid Advertisement of Bid meeting Class 2 notice, two publications, under Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 985.
Bid opening
Recommendation of Award
Sewer Utility District Commission recommendation and Common Council approval to award (anticipated April 14, 2026)
Notice of Award

Construction

Notice to Proceed
Pre-Construction Meeting
Substantial Completion and startup of New Lift Station E late 2026
Final Completion TBD

Project History

In spring 2020, the SUDC authorized a condition assessment for the sanitary lift station along Ranch Road, located west of Oriole Lane that is commonly referred to as "Lift Station E" (LS E). This assessment report was finalized in January 2021 with the recommendation to replace the station (the report is available under Supporting Documents below).

The Sewer Utility initiated a site selection process that resulted in a Common Council authorized resolution identifying and authorizing negotiations for easement or property acquisition on 8 parcels, including 2010 Ranch Road. For reference, that packet with multiple technical memorandums can be found here.

There were multiple public information meetings held at that time, as well as direct correspondence with the parcel owners (which included the HOA for the outlot) and a near negotiation for purchase with the owner of 2205 Ranch Court. Ultimately, negotiations were unsuccessful and in October 2022, the SUDC authorized the “current” design location at the end of Laguna Drive, along the bike path connection to Ranch Road. That packet can be referenced here.

Subsequently in March 2023, the SUDC and Common Council authorized a design contract for the new lift station. Please click here for that packet.

On March 1, 2024, City staff and the design team learned that the property at 2010 Ranch Road was available for purchase. The property is the ideal location for the new lift station, as it is immediately adjacent to the existing lift station. Reconstruction of the lift station at 2010 Ranch Road would not only reduce the project cost, but it would also minimize disruption during construction and reduce the number of newly impacted property owners. At the March 12, 2024, meeting, the Common Council authorized Resolution 4109: A Resolution Declaring the Necessity and Establishing the Relocation Order for the Relocation and Reconstruction of Sanitary Sewer Lift Station E and Authorizing the Purchase of the Property at 2010 West Ranch Road and that packet is available here. The purchase was followed by the designation of 2010 West Ranch Road as the location for the new lift station and that packet can be accessed here.

At 2010 Ranch Road, the geotechnical field evaluation was completed on July 16, the wetland delineation on July 18 and the survey on July 23, 2024.

The pre-demolition testing for lead and asbestos at both the existing Lift Station E and the home at 2010 Ranch Road is complete, and those reports are available under “Supporting Documents”. Any material requiring abatement or special disposal will addressed prior to demolition. It is anticipated that 2010 Ranch Road will be demolished as a part of the new lift station construction. The existing lift station will not be demolished until after the existing lift station is decommissioned once the new lift station is operable.

The wetland delineation and tree survey for 2010 Ranch Road were completed in July and are available under “Supporting Documents”.

The geotechnical evaluation was conducted for the new lift station and the report is available under “Supporting Documents”.

The Planning Commission approved the conditional use grant and the building and site plan on April 21, 2025. The submittal documents are available under “Supporting Documents” and a link to the agenda packet is available under “Legislative History”.

Project Q&A

As the project continues through design and to construction, additional questions and answers will be added to this section. If you have a question that you would like answered, please contact engineering [at] cityofmequonwi.gov (engineering[at]cityofmequonwi[dot]gov).

Why does the City need to build a new Lift Station?

Two primary reasons: the existing lift station does not have sufficient capacity during wet weather events and the infrastructure is beyond its life cycle. The new lift station will be able to handle larger flows, which should reduce the need to bypass pump and reduce the volume and frequency of basement backups. It will also ensure that the residents can be served far into the future. Please see the condition assessment and design report for additional information.

Why was the location changed to 2010 Ranch Road?

Please see the supporting documents and legislative history for a full analysis. The location at 2010 Ranch Road is immediately adjacent to the existing lift station, located within an easement on an outlot. The number of properties impacted by the relocation of the lift station is one less than currently impacted by the Laguna Drive, as the home at 2010 Ranch Road will be demolished. The design location at the end of Laguna Drive would have impacted a number of new property owners not currently impacted by the existing lift station. Summarily, the benefits to the 2010 Ranch Road location include:

Infrastructure cost savings estimated at $1,191,000
Same neighbors/adjacent properties as the existing lift station, minimizing the impact of the new station vs. the existing station.
Construction will be outside of the existing flood plain and wetlands.
The station will be outside of the current bike path. The construction will not disturb or interrupt the bike path’s use during or after construction.
The home’s existing well can be used as a source of water for the lift station. This will eliminate the need to haul water to the site.
Eliminates the need for closing West Ranch Road for construction of the connecting sewer.
Existing electrical and gas utilities are near the site.
Less disruption to the residents in the area.

When will construction start?

It is too early in the design to establish exact dates, so please continue to check back on this page for updates. It is anticipated that construction could start in fall 2025.