Elk Mound water main ‘loop’ for housing development could cost $300,000

By LeAnn R. Ralph

ELK MOUND  —  Installing a loop in Elk Mound’s water main system to increase firefighting capabilities for a proposed housing development along University Street could cost $300,000.

The Elk Mound Village Board received information about the cost of the loop at the April 20 meeting.

Len Schreiber of Cedar Corporation, along with developers Gene Caron and Mike Ruwowski, appeared before the Elk Mound Village Board at the April 6 meeting to talk about their proposal for a housing development that would be located across the street from Mound View Elementary.

Water is “stubbed in” to the Mound View parking lot, and a loop in the water system would increase water pressure so that if there were ever a fire at Mound View Elementary or in the housing development, there would be enough water pressure to fight the fire.

The proposed housing development would have about a dozen duplexes and four-plexes on a 36.47 acre parcel.

About 15 percent of the parcel is build-able, or 5.5 acres.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website, “‘looping’ typically refers to the elimination of a dead-end water main by constructing an additional water main from the dead-end to another water main to complete a loop.”

And while the state does have a Safe Drinking Water Loan Program that can help communities pay for a water main loop, projects that are primarily for future growth or fire protection are not eligible for funding, according to the DNR website.

The University Street loop would be about 2,700 feet.

At the April 6 meeting, Elk Mound Village Board members agreed that Schreiber, Caron and Ruwowski should gather more information about the housing development and then schedule a meeting with the village’s plan commission.

Additional information would include a site plan for the development.

Mark Levra, director of public works, noted at the April 6 meeting that a loop for the water main would be essential.

With 12 to 15 houses in the development, “if there is a fire, there is no pressure now. It would be really bad then,” he said.

No money for the loop would be available through the village, and the contractor would have to pay for the project, said Andy Peterson, village president, at the April 20 meeting.

Other business 

In other business, the Elk Mound Village Board:

• Learned that two applications had been received for the summer maintenance position by the April 15 deadline.

• Learned that the Elk Mound fire department currently has 19 members on the roster and that a full roster is 30 to 35 members.

• Learned from the Dunn County sheriff’s department that the Pourhouse sold alcohol to an underaged person and that it was the establishment’s second violation in the last 12 months. If convicted of selling alcohol to an underaged person, the liquor license for the Pourhouse would be suspended for three days.

• Learned that the Elk Mound Police Department logged 39 incidents in March. Police Chief Travis Hakes noted Elk Mound has experienced an increased number of prowlers and that the Dunn County sheriff’s department has increased the amount of time spent in the village at night.

• Accepted the Consumer Confidence Report for the village’s drinking water.

• Appointed new board member Greg Kipp to serve on the Board of Review scheduled for May 16.