Village Board Approves Land Purchase For Sewer Basin

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The Village Board voted Tuesday, June 28 to purchase land to build a catch basin for sewer overflows when excessive rain events occur.

In a special Joint Village Board meeting with the Caledonia Utility District, members voted unanimously to buy four acres of land from Ray Leffler, a local developer, on highways 38 and K.

The basin would prevent peak flow from going into Racine’s sewerage system, which is estimated to occur two to three times a year.

The land will cost taxpayers $80,000. The total cost of the project would be $6.1 million, but the Village would move forward with the first phase of the project, which would cost $3 million.

The project would also qualify them for a $600,000 Clean Water Fund credit.

The total cost to the sewerage user if the village did all three phases would total $55 per year. The impact to sewerage users would result in a $21.40 per year increase for the average homeowner in the Village for the first phase.

Bob Bradley, chairman of the Caledonia Utility District, said the basin is needed because the current sewerage system that serves the Franksville area is close to capacity. If the amount of sewerage flow exceeds the capacity allotted in the Sewer Agreement they made with Racine, it would require the Village to upgrade their lift station to handle the flow and they would also be charged by the City of Racine for exceeding their capacity.

“We don’t want to have to buy anymore capacity, that’s what drives our bills,” Bradley said.

John Blejac, an attorney for the Village, explained to the board that the underground tank would store a blend of clear water and sewerage along Highway 38 and Highway K until they could release the sewerage during a non-peak flow.

“There would be no smells, and no smelling apparatus would be needed,” Blejac said.