Wood County, Wisconsin

Official Website

User Icon Login

Sewer Service Area Planning

The purpose of sewer service area planning is to anticipate a community’s future wastewater treatment and collection needs for a 20-year planning period. A sewer service area plan identifies areas that are suitable for sanitary sewer development. The plan also delineates environmentally sensitive areas to be protected from future development and indiscriminate urban growth. Sewer service area planning plays an important role in responsible water quality management.

The Wood County Planning and Zoning Department is the designated agency responsible for administering the following Sewer Service Area Plans:

Wisconsin Rapids Sewer Service Area Plan – 2030

Planning area includes all or part of the following civil jurisdictions. In Wood County: City of Wisconsin Rapids, Village of Biron, Village of Rudolph, Town of Grand Rapids, Town of Rudolph, Town of Saratoga, Town of Seneca, and Town of Sigel. In Portage County: Town of Grant and Town of Plover.

Marshfield Sewer Service Area Plan – 2040

Planning area includes all or part of the following civil jurisdictions. In Wood County: City of Marshfield, Village of Hewitt, Town of Cameron, Town of Lincoln, and Town of Marshfield. In Marathon County: Town of McMillan and Town of Spencer.

Request for Sanitary Sewer Extension Review (WQM Review – 208 Compliance Letter)

The Wood County Planning Division reviews sanitary extensions and laterals for conformance with the above referenced sewer service area/water quality management (WQM) plans. To request a WQM Review – 208 Compliance Letter, submit the following information to the Wood County Planning and Zoning Department:

  • Written request (letter or email)
  • Project location map
  • Proposed sanitary sewer extension(s) plan map
  • Submittal shall also include a brief description of size, location, beginning and ending points, and type of structures to be served.
  • $100 review fee

To avoid unnecessary project delays, this submittal should be made early in the planning process, prior to completing detailed plans and specifications for the project. Submitting the plans early will ensure that local review is made prior to submittal of the plans to the state and that costly detailed sewer design and specification documents are not prepared for areas that do not conform to the sewer service area plan and are subsequently rejected by the state.

Staff will review all submissions and provide a review letter within 15 days of receipt of all required submittal information. If the proposed sanitary sewer extension is in conformance with the plan, a WQM Review – 208 Compliance Letter will be issued.