Neenah waterfall dry as contractor waits for electrical component - Post-Crescent

Neenah waterfall dry as contractor waits for electrical component

Neenah waterfall remains dry as contractor waits for electrical component
Duke Behnke

Reader question: The Neenah stormwater pond on Harrison Street was supposed to have a limestone waterfall. Why hasn't it been finished and turned on?

Answer: The construction of the $1.8 million regional stormwater pond has not gone according to schedule. The project was estimated to take one year but now is approaching two years due to labor and supply-chain issues.

The latest hang-up concerns a meter socket for three-phase electrical power that is necessary to run the pumps for the waterfall.

"That part is not available for six months," said Heath Kummerow, an engineer for the city. "We've been waiting for about three (months) for that. They're still putting the waterfall together, too."

Kummerow said his best guess is the waterfall will be operational sometime this fall, provided the meter socket arrives as promised.

The contract for the pond was awarded to MCC Inc. of Appleton in September 2021. The excavation of the pond was completed in February 2022, and the retaining wall on the west side of the pond was finished in October. The storm sewer connections were made in January, so the pond has been functioning since then, minus the waterfall.

Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions

Stormwater ponds collect runoff and then release it at a steady rate to a nearby body of water, in this case the Neenah Slough, which is known as Neenah Creek within city limits. Stormwater ponds not only control flooding, but they also improve water quality by allowing pollutants and sediment to settle out before the water is discharged.

The Harrison Street pond collects stormwater from 217 acres in the central part of the city. The pond also accepts clean processing water from Galloway Co., cooling it to meet regulatory requirements before it is discharged to Neenah Creek. As an acknowledgement of the benefit, Galloway contributed $147,000 to the project.

Because the stormwater pond is visible along Winneconne Avenue and across from Washington Park, engineers designed it to have more aesthetic elements and features than a typical stormwater pond. A concrete patio overlooks the waterfall, and a walking path lines the perimeter.

I took a walk around the pond and saw schools of minnows, mallard ducks, dragonflies and killdeer. It's certainly more interesting than a typical stormwater pond, but it lacks the wow factor without the waterfall.

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.

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