Sewer Service Areas are planning boundaries that identify lands that may be served by municipal sanitary sewer facilities in the future. The proposed amendment updates the adopted Sewer Service Area map to reflect current land use and development plans and to ensure consistency between local planning efforts and regional wastewater planning requirements. Approval of the amendment would allow the affected property to be considered for future public sanitary sewer service, subject to all applicable City approvals and regulatory requirements. ECWRPC is proposing a change to the Sewer Service Area map to ensure that the City’s long-term growth, utility planning, and land use plans remain aligned. Properties must generally be located within an approved Sewer Service Area before they can receive municipal sanitary sewer service. This amendment updates the planning boundary to reflect anticipated future needs and to support orderly and efficient development within the community while protecting the environment.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Common Council of the City of Waupaca, Wisconsin, will hold a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the City’s Sewer Service Area (SSA) as identified in the adopted sanitary sewer service area plan administered by the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (ECWRPC). The public hearing will be held on October 20, 2026 at 6:oo PM at Waupaca City Hall, 111 S. Main St., Waupaca, WI.
The purpose of the public hearing is to receive comments regarding a proposed amendment to the Sewer Service Area boundary to include approximately 135 acres located with the City of Waupaca.
A map showing the proposed Sewer Service Area amendment is available for review at the City Clerk’s Office, at City Hall, during normal business hours and on the City’s website at https://cityofwaupaca.org/
Interested persons are invited to attend the public hearing and present testimony. Written comments may also be submitted to: publicinput@waupacawi.gov
Sewer Service Area (SSA) Planning is a process designed to anticipate a community’s future needs for wastewater treatment. These Plans help protect communities from adverse water quality impacts through development of cost-effective and environmentally sound sewerage system growth plans for the next 20 years. The Waupaca-Chain ‘O Lakes Sewer Service Area Plan is currently being updated with an anticipated draft completion in late 2026.
A SSA plan identifies existing sewered areas as well as adjacent land most suitable for development. SSA boundaries may also be shifted during a SSA plan update to include existing development based on perceived or anticipated need for connection to sanitary sewer due to future failing on-site systems.
However, although an area may be located within the SSA boundary, it does not obligate or require the area to be sewered.
Through several working sessions, ECWRPC and City of Waupaca staff have identified and propose to add areas within existing residential development located along Highland Drive and High Street into the Sewer Service Area Boundary. Another area near the Waupaca Municipal Airport is also proposed to be added. These areas are located within the City of Waupaca and are largely currently served by Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (POWTS).
Due to the age of the homes in these areas, it is anticipated that the POWTS are reaching the end of their designed lifespans or may be failing and conceivably in need of replacement in the near future. In addition, downgradient of these POWTS-served residential areas are sensitive wetlands and Mirror and Shadow Lakes, both of which are on the Wisconsin DNR’s impaired waters list. Due to the close proximity of these environmentally sensitive areas, there is a need for water quality protection.
For property owners within the proposed SSA addition area, connecting to sanitary sewer is not required. The area is being added to the SSA in anticipation of future need for sewer in the area, not to
obligate landowners to connect to sewer.
A presentation to the City’s Water and Sewer Utility Board will be made on October 6th. This public meeting regular start time is 1:00 PM. There will also be a public hearing and presentation to the City’s Common Council. That regular meeting is on October 20th, with a standard start time of 6:00 PM. After review and approval from these two City boards, the area map will be sent to ECWRPC. ECWRPC will conduct a public comment period in January 2027 for a period of no less than 30 days. ECWRPC and will also take action on updating the map at a future meeting. That meeting date and time has not yet been set.
More information on the SSA planning can be found on the City of Waupaca website at
https://cityofwaupaca.org/ or ECWRPC at https://www.ecwrpc.org/programs/water-quality-management/
Questions regarding the Sewer Service Area Plan update can be directed to Carmen Ebert, Sewer Service Area Planner at (920) 886-6829 or cebert@ecwrpc.org.