The City of Madison, Wisconsin, has launched a sanitary sewer study aimed at evaluating wastewater collection system capacity and identifying infrastructure improvements needed to support future growth and redevelopment.

Carollo Engineers will lead the Campus, Downtown, and East Washington Avenue Sanitary Sewer Study, which will use hydraulic modeling to assess existing system performance, analyze the impacts of planned development and create a framework for future sewer planning across the city.

The project comes as Madison experiences continued population growth and redevelopment, particularly along major transit corridors, increasing demand on the sanitary sewer system.

The study will include a review of existing records and GIS data, a three-month flow monitoring program, calibration of a sanitary sewer model and preparation of capacity assessment maps. While primarily focused on system capacity, the study is also expected to help the city better understand wet-weather impacts and identify opportunities to reduce stormwater inflow into the sanitary sewer system, potentially lowering treatment costs and reducing the risk of overflows.

In addition to completing the corridor study, Carollo will assist the city in developing standardized guidance for future sanitary sewer modeling efforts. The Campus, Downtown, and East Washington Avenue study is expected to be completed by summer 2027.