WAUKESHA, Wis. — A Waukesha subdivision that has flooded repeatedly for months may not see repairs for up to five years, even though the city has identified the problem causing the flooding.
Hunter Road residents have watched their street fill with water during heavy rains in July, August and September. The city now knows why it keeps happening.
"The elevations that the subdivisions were constructed at it more or less creates a bathtub. To where, when this water ponds, it doesn't have an outlet route," said Brandon Schwenn, deputy director of public works.
Unlike other subdivisions where floodwater can escape through yards or ditches, Hunter Road lacks that option. However, the city doesn't necessarily view the flooding as a problem unless it causes property damage.
Watch: Waukesha neighbors learn flooding fix could take up to 5 years, after city figured out the cause
"The July rain event we know exceeded the capacity of the storm sewer. We know it ponded in the street, but there were no reports of property damage," Schwenn said.
Only during August's historic flooding did the city receive damage reports, which triggered a study of the subdivision. The study found the sewers aren't big enough to meet current standards.
City standards require sewer systems to handle at least a 10-year rain event. The sewers on Hunter Road can't even meet a one-to-two-year rain event.
"Right now, it does not meet the city's current stormwater standard; however, as we know, stormwater standards change. They change over time. This was constructed in 2000," Schwenn said.
When asked why Hunter Road floods while other areas don't experience the same issues, Schwenn acknowledged that other areas do experience street flooding throughout the city.
The lengthy timeline for repairs stems from the city's list of flood mitigation projects that need attention citywide. The Hunter Road fix could take anywhere from one year at the earliest to as long as five years.
Residents say they plan to attend city council meetings to advocate for faster action.
"We're afraid to reinvest in our homes, and we need to make sure the city council understands that," said Brendan Juno, who lives on Hunter Road.
"We're hopeful that they'll be able to recognize the need and the severity of the situation and that this plan gets implemented as soon as possible," Juno said.
The proposed fix for Hunter Road will go to the city's finance committee as part of the capital infrastructure project budget, which likely won't be addressed until June.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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