Watertown, WI

The City of Watertown Stormwater Management Program is managed by the Engineering Division in conjunction with the Street Division.

Contact Information:
Stormwater Project Manager:  Maureen McBroom, ENV SP    920-206-4264
106 Jones Street, PO Box 477, Watertown, WI 53094

The City of Watertown's Stormwater Management Program includes flooding, water quality (pollution control), and storm system repairs and maintenance.

Flooding
Watertown’s water issues are complex, including high groundwater, historic development patterns, low areas surrounded by higher topography, and lots of hard surfaces, draining toward the nearest creek, wetland or the Rock River. Storm sewers, ditches, swales, culverts, stormwater ponds and other Best Management Practices such as underground storage systems, infiltration basins, biofilters, permeable pavers, rain gardens and rain barrels exist on public and private property throughout the City. These systems are designed to capture and convey stormwater runoff safely with minimal impacts to private property and public infrastructure.

Water Quality
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) issued a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit to the City of Watertown in 2006. The goal of this permit is to minimize the amount of polluted stormwater runoff flowing through the City’s stormwater management system to the Rock River and other local waterways. In most cases, stormwater flows by gravity through the storm sewer & ditch system directly to local waterways; not to the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. In some areas, stormwater flows into a Best Management Practice (BMP) such as a stormwater pond, infiltration basin, biofilter, permeable pavement, or other structure that captures sediment and attached pollutants, allowing cleaner water to continue downstream to the Rock River and other waterways.

Repair and Maintenance
The stormwater management system requires routine inspection and maintenance, just like any other aspect of the City’s infrastructure system, to ensure that it functions as designed. Freeze/thaw, heavy traffic loads, time and other factors contribute to the deterioration of the storm sewer and ditch system. Annual televising and cleaning of the storm sewer, trimming of brush and vegetation, repairs to storm pipe, inlets, outfalls and more help direct and manage stormwater safely downstream.

There are many things you can do to help. Click on each picture below to find out how!

**Please note that the City of Watertown does require the following permit:**

*An Erosion Control and Storm Water Runoff Permit if you are either disturbing or grading more than 3,000 square feet of land or excavating and/or filling more than 400 cubic yards of material. Please see the Building Safety & Zoning webpage for building permit information for 1- and 2-family home sites or any sites under 1 acre.
To view the City of Watertown's Annual MS4 Permit Annual Reports and planning documents, please click here. To read more about City of Watertown's Chapter 288, Erosion and Sediment Control, please click here.