We are currently experiencing widespread flooding on Germantown roads, including downed trees, washed out shoulders, and stoplight outages. If at all possible, please stay in your homes until the water recedes.
Please monitor the Village website and Facebook page for further updates.
Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency in Response to a Natural Disaster
The Village President has issued a Proclamation Declaring a State of Emergency in Response to a Natural Disaster. We experienced significant public and private damage during the storms last night and today. We don’t know the full extent of the damage yet, or how much it will cost to clean up and make repairs. This declaration is a step to keep the door open for possible State or Federal assistance. View the Proclamation here.
Sanitary Sewer Overflow Notice
At 5:00 AM on August 10th, 2025, the Wastewater Utility commenced an initial sanitary sewer overflow at N116W17230 Main Street. A second sanitary sewer overflow was started at 8:50 AM on August 10th, 2025, at W172N10591 Division Road.
UPDATE: The initial sanitary sewer overflow has ceased discharging at the Main Street location on August 10th, at 5:05 PM.
The overflow is necessary to protect homes and businesses from severe damage and basement backups. The impacted waters are the Menominee River from Main Street to the harbor of Milwaukee.
The public is asked to stay away from the waters and the area to prevent exposure to possible pathogens present in raw wastewater.
Thanks you in advance for your cooperation.
What is a Sanitary Sewer Overflow and Why do they Happen?
We have been getting questions about what a sanitary sewer overflow is and why the heavy rain effects sewer systems. Unlike water lines, sewer lines and laterals are not pressurized and are not entirely watertight. Over time cracks develop, gaskets can deteriorate, tree roots can grow into cracks and rainwater can infiltrate the system. Many of these issues are on private sewer laterals. The Village has partnered and will continue to partner with MMSD on Private Property Inflow and Infiltration (PPI&I) programs to try to reduce the amount of rainwater that gets into the system. In addition, when there is flooding, water can enter the sewer system directly through sinks or toilets or drains in flooded areas. Our sewer system, like all sewer systems is not watertight. During a heavy rainstorm like we are having, the amount of rainwater that gets into the sewer system can cause extremely heaving flows that overwhelm our pipes and pumping stations. When this happens, we set up auxiliary pumps at our lift stations and pump the rainwater/sewage mix directly into the river. While this is obviously not good, it is better than having the sewage back up into basements. Residents can help alleviate this problem by reducing their water usage until the amount of water in the system subside. Our last overflow was in 2006 and once this event is over, we will analyze the data and see if there are any steps we can take to further secure our sewer system.