Jan. 9, 2026
VIROQUA, Wis. — The Viroqua Public Works Committee met Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, to process significant infrastructure payments and review utility issues ranging from a major water main break to state mandated lead service line notifications.
Hanson Farm Infrastructure Progress
City Engineer Sarah Grainger presented a substantial pay request for the ongoing Hanson Farm infrastructure project. She explained that the high dollar amount reflected both completed underground work and materials currently stored on the site.
Grainger detailed the specific progress made by the contractors despite winter weather conditions.
“So they spent a lot of time working on the underground work,” said Grainger. “So the water in the sewer mains, they have some water services to still do, but for the most part, most everything is in.”
The committee approved the pay request in the amount of $680,988.94.
Water Utility Challenges
The committee discussed a significant water main break that occurred recently near the Park Bowl. Grainger noted that the break resulted in substantial water loss because the initial notification went to voicemail over a weekend.
“It was a big deal because there was a lot of water loss,” said Grainger.
Grainger credited the water crew for managing the difficult repair in cold conditions without shutting off the water entirely, which would have triggered fire alarms in nearby buildings.
Lead Service Line Inventory
Grainger updated the committee on the mandatory distribution of letters regarding lead service line inventories. She noted that while the city does not have known lead services, they must notify residents with galvanized or unknown lines using specific language required by the EPA.
“The letters are scripted by the EPA very specifically to detail some information, and it was very alarming to some people to receive it last year,” said Grainger. “They weren’t sure they could drink their water anymore.”
Highway Aid Funding
The meeting concluded with positive financial news regarding state highway aid. Grainger reported that after correcting data with auditors, the city recouped funds they thought were lost due to formulation changes. Viroqua was projected to lose state highway aid because of the reconfiguration of North Main Street. Specifically, the city shifted the road from four lanes down to a three-lane design (locally referred to as the “twiddle”), which altered the formula the state uses to calculate aid for connecting highways.
“We were able to correct it with the auditors, and then we ended up getting another $19,000 more than we expected,” said Grainger. “So we almost kind of came back to where we were originally.”
Add comment