Brief · Wisconsin · 2026-09-18
Water infrastructure intelligence — Wisconsin
2026-09-18 · Clean Water Fund Program, Safe Drinking Water Loan Program · $1.4B in tracked project value · list shrank 1,739 → 1,032 (SFY2027)
Wisconsin DNR's September 2026 update to the Clean Water Fund Program and Safe Drinking Water Loan Program shows a list that shrank to 1,032 projects from 1,739, a drop of 707 as 717 projects no longer appear on the current list and 209 appeared on the priority list for the first time, worth $625.6M. Separately, 175 projects entered the fundable range, together valued at $639.2M, the closest signal to imminent procurement tracked in this brief. Cost estimates moved on 130 projects, 89 up and 41 down, a net change of +$82.1M, against a tracked value of $1.4B across the current list.
Upgrade WWTP - Phosphorus, Upgrade Equip, Add Biosolids Drying. Requested $55.5M.
Construct New CL contact tank/UV disinfect/pumps. Requested $52.3M.
Upgrade WWTP - Construct Tertiary Filtration for Phosphorus. Requested $44.3M.
The clearest movement this cycle sits with City of Oak Creek, which appeared on the priority list for the first time under the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program with an estimated cost of $50.0M for a new CL contact tank, UV disinfection, lift pumps, and piping. City of Mosinee also was added to the list, listing an estimated cost of $42.0M for a new well and treatment project. On the funding side, City of Portage shows a requested amount of $55.5M tied to wastewater treatment upgrades addressing phosphorus removal, equipment upgrades, and biosolids drying, part of the group of projects that entered the fundable range this period.
Smaller-dollar movement also appears in the rankings: City of Stanley climbed in priority rank for a well rehabilitation project estimated at $326K, and City of Mayville climbed in priority rank for watermain replacement work on Muzzy St and Allen St, estimated at $787K. These score changes sit among just 3 projects flagged for that signal this cycle, a small slice against the 1,032 projects on the current list.
Across the category rollup, wastewater treatment carries the largest tracked value at $2.2B across 235 projects, while collection and sewer work follows at $828.5M across 274 projects. Lift and pump stations account for $545.8M across 134 projects, and wells and source projects total $430.4M across 141 projects. PFAS and emerging contaminants work, while the smallest category by count at 40 projects, still carries $415.6M in tracked value, and watermain and distribution projects total $385.7M across 226 projects. The spread shows tracked dollars concentrated in treatment and collection infrastructure rather than spread evenly across categories.
The current documents were adopted April 2026, and the list does not say why the 717 projects no longer appear. What the numbers do show is a large volume of new listings and fundable-range entries recorded in the same cycle that recorded the sharpest overall contraction in project count, 1,739 down to 1,032.
Projects the state has flagged as fundable — the closest signal to imminent procurement. Ordered by requested amount.
| Entity | Scope | Program | Requested |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Portage | Upgrade WWTP - Phosphorus, Upgrade Equip, Add Biosolids Drying | CWFP | $55.5M |
| City of Oak Creek | Construct New CL contact tank/UV disinfect/pumps | SDWLP | $52.3M |
| City of Oshkosh | Upgrade WWTP - Construct Tertiary Filtration for Phosphorus | CWFP | $44.3M |
| City of Horicon | Upgrade WWTF | CWFP | $39.8M |
| City of Sheboygan | Southside Sanitary Interceptor Sewer System - Phases 1 & 2 | CWFP | $31.7M |
| Milwaukee MSD | Install Oklahoma Avenue MIS Capacity Improvements C03013C01 | CWFP | $27.6M |
| City of Sparta | Upgrade WWTP for Phosphorus Compliance | CWFP | $14.5M |
| Green Bay MSD | Upgrade East River Lift Station & Force Main | CWFP | $14.4M |
Projects that climbed materially in the ranking year over year — the least-watched signal in the document.
| Entity | Scope | Program | Rank movement |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Stanley | Rehab Well #3 | SDWLP | score 174 → 388 |
| City of Mayville | Replace Watermains on Muzzy St and Allen St | SDWLP | score 54 → 77 |
| Brockway SD | Replace Force Main - Lincoln Street | CWFP | score 54.9 → 69.6 |
Projects seeking SRF financing — not every municipal water or wastewater project in Wisconsin. Source: Wisconsin DNR — Clean Water Fund Program, Safe Drinking Water Loan Program (IUP/PPL). Stages are labeled precisely; "no longer listed" does not assert an outcome.