Designated versus Non-designated Planning Areas

Under NR 121, Wisconsin sewer service area planning is developed by water quality planning agencies "designated" by the Governor 1974, which includes the Dane County Regional Planning Commission (DCRPC), the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (for the seven southeastern Wisconsin counties (Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington, and Waukesha), and the Fox Valley Water Quality Planning Agency (FVWQPA), which no longer exists. For the Fox Valley area, the designation remains and sewer service area planning within its boundary is carried out contractually between the WDNR and the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and the Brown County Planning Commission. Within the last 10 years, the Areawide Water Quality Management Plan approval process has been delegated from the Governor to the WDNR.

Nondesignated Areas

Elsewhere in the state, planning takes place in "non-designated areas", as per 121.05(1)(g)(4). These plans must must identify sewer service areas for selected urban regions within the standard metropolitan statistical areas and for areas with populations exceeding 10,000. Urban areas with treatment plants of 1.0 MGD or more within the standard metropolitan region of an urban area with a population of greater than 10,000 should be included in the sewer service area planning process (an example of this is the Town of Beloit, which is located adjacent to the City of Beloit which has a population of over 10,000).

List of Designated and Non-designated Areas

For more information, contact: Lisa Helmuth.

Last Revised: Thursday July 13 2006