Buchanan, WI
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Town of Buchanan Stormwater Utility District
The Town of Buchanan Stormwater Utility was established by the Town Board of Buchanan on November 13, 2018. (Town of Buchanan Municipal Code Chapter 504, Article III) The Stormwater Utility was created in order to comply with rules implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Water Act. The Town of Buchanan has applied and been granted the NR216 WPDES Storm Water Permit. This permit regulates the discharges from the Town of Buchanan to the local watersheds, such as Garners, Plum and Kankapot Creek, and the Fox River, from the Town's storm sewer system that may consist of runoff from rain events or snow melt and fluids from spills or illicit connections. The permit requirements are intended to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters of the state through management and treatment of urban stormwater runoff. As part of this effort, the Town has to establish a stormwater management program.
Goals of the Stormwater Utility
- Improve water flow
- Decrease soil erosion, i.e., stream restoration
- Encourage runoff's infiltration into the ground
- Reduce the amount of stormwater that reaches rivers, lakes and streams
- Keep pollutants from infiltrating the ground of washing away
- Participate with the following organizations and and provide resources and education to the public.
Responsibilities of the Stormwater Utility
- Repair and maintain the Town's stormwater system (Storm Sewer, Culverts, Ditches)
- Comply with Federal and State regulatory standards
- Improve stormwater runoff quality
- Protect the bodies of water receiving the Town's stormwater runoff
Stormwater Resources and Facilities
The following resource documents are provided to educate the public and owner/operators of private stormwater facilities.
Inspecting Stormwater Management Practices
Best Management Practices
The Town uses native prairie and aquatic plans in many of its stormwater ponds. It also uses prescribed burns or prairie burns to manage the vegetation. The following documents provide more detail about these practices.
Native Prairie & Aquatic Plant Values and Services
*Ponds which use native prairie and wetland plantings and landscapes
Heartland Pond*: The Pond was constructed in 2006 and is located within the west central portion of the Garners Creek Watershed. Specifically, the Heartland Pond is located east of STH ‘441’, west of Eisenhower Drive, south of CTH ‘CE’ and north of Garners Creek within the Town of Buchanan. Approximately 89 acres drain into the Heartland Pond, including the commercial development including Lowes and Festival Foods. Stormwater runoff is carried to the pond by storm sewers. The purpose of the Heartland Pond is to reduce peak flow rates, improve water quality and provide flood control.
Main Street Pond*: This pond was completed by the Garners Creek Storm Water Utility in 2009. It is located south of Emons road and just east of Main Street. The pond includes native prairie plantings and also includes paved trail.
Springfield Pond*: The Springfield Pond was constructed by the Garners Creek Storm Water Utility in 2009. The pond is located west of Eisenhower Drive at Creekview Lane and will serve as a large regional pond. This pond was completed in coordination with the Buchanan Cottages development.
Regal Pond*: Regal Pond is located behind the Marcus Theatres and converted an existing dry detention area to a wet pond in 2009.
Speedway Heights Pond*: This pond is located in the Speedway Heights subdivision just west of the Wisconsin International Raceway. Pond construction was completed in the summer of 2010. The Town was successful in securing two grants for this project.
County Road N Pond: The Pond was constructed in 2021 in combination with the Yard Waste Transfer Site and is located north of KK intersection, Ruby and Barney Court at N124 & N130 County Road N. It will also receive stormwater from the CTH N project from 2026.
Van Handel Pond: The pond is located at the northeast corner of Van Handel Dr. and Hank Dr. and was constructed in 2024 as part of the Van Handle Dr. reconstruction project which included curb/gutter/storm sewer.
Please note that ponds are not to be used for swimming or fishing and domestic animals are not allowed to enter the water.
Stormwater Utility Fee Structure
The Town chose to create a Stormwater Utility as a means to equitably charge for the planning, financing and completion of ongoing activities and improvements to reduce flooding, improve stream bank erosion and enhance water quality in the community watersheds. Since stormwater utilities are funded by user fees, properties within the service area, including tax-exempt and non-profits, are charged based on the runoff each property produces.
The Town will charge a fee on developed property that has impervious surfaces. Impervious area, or impervious surface, is defined as a surface that has been compacted or covered with a layer of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by rainwater. Several examples of impervious surfaces include roofs, sidewalks, parking lots, compacted gravel or dirt surfaces, and other similar surfaces.
Stormwater charges are based on the Equivalent Runoff Units (ERU) for the property. The average square footage of impervious area of the ERU is established to be equivalent to 3,623 square feet.
Charges can be found in Resolution 2026-01.
You can also view the following ERU Map.
In 2026 the Utility updated who was being charged based on multiple discussion at public Stormwater Utility meetings; please review the following staff report for additional background on the decision. In addition, the Town prepared the following informational sheet that was promoted on the stormwater webpage starting in July 2025, a Facebook post on July 22, 2025 and included in the Fall 2025 newsletter which is mailed to Town residents.
Stormwater Utility Application
This application should be filled out and sent in to the Town of Buchanan Utility Manager for any project that is changing the square footage or footprint for impervious surfaces on a property in the Town of Buchanan. This form assists Town staff in keeping up-to-date records for the purpose of assigning stormwater fees to properties.
- User Charge Determination Application West of STH 55
- User Charge Determination Application East of STH 55
This application should be filled out and sent in to the Town of Buchanan Utility Manager for any project that is served by privately owned and maintained on-site stormwater management facilities. Your property may be eligible for a credit if it meets the Town of Buchanan Stormwater Utility District Credit Policy. An application fee of $75 is required.
Billing
Property owners will receive a stormwater utility charge once a year with their property tax statement. Fees will be evaluated annually and may be adjusted based on the Utility cost of operations and capital projects.
Stormwater Utility Budget
For questions please contact Dennis Jandrey, Engineering Technician, dennisj@townofbuchanan.wi.gov or 920-734-8599.