Port Washington Board of Public Works to Consider Data Center Well Permits

Port Washington’s Board of Public Works is scheduled to consider a request tied to Vantage Data Centers’ Lighthouse data-center campus: “Well Permits for the Data Center.” The agenda lists the item for “consideration and possible action” at its July 14, 2026 meeting.

Why residents are paying attention to the well-permit request

Local reporting has framed the question as practical and time-sensitive: during construction, how will water be sourced—and what safeguards will prevent risks to drinking water and the city’s municipal system?

According to Ozaukee Press, the city’s engineering staff said the key concern is ensuring the requested wells are not connected to the municipal water system. The report also says Vantage plans to use existing wells to support temporary site trailers used as offices during construction, and that the wells would be abandoned once the city can service the data center site with city water.

What Wisconsin DNR’s review adds to the picture

Even though the Board’s agenda item is a city-level consideration, the state’s environmental and permitting work is part of the broader backdrop. Wisconsin DNR maintains a public Port Washington data center proposal page that describes its review process.

DNR says its environmental analysis under Wisconsin’s Environmental Policy Act (WEPA) included an Environmental Analysis Summary released Dec. 9, 2025, a WEPA Compliance Determination issued Dec. 11, 2025, and a supplemental report released June 12, 2026, including information that became available during the public comment period on draft air permits.

The DNR page also lays out categories of required permits and approvals and documents municipal-services planning for the campus, including work tied to municipal water and sewer service arrangements.

What to watch for in any permit conditions

Because the Board item is listed as possible action, residents who want the clearest answers should focus on the specific conditions tied to any approval. In particular:

• Separation from the municipal system: how the city will ensure wells cannot be connected to city water during construction.
• How long wells could be used: Ozaukee Press reports DNR information stating the wells would run 18 to 24 months and then be filled and sealed.
• Transition timing: how the project handles the shift from construction well operations to city water service availability.
• Operational safeguards: what the final documentation says about monitoring/testing, pumping limits, and abandonment steps (if any).

What happens next

After the July 14 meeting, look for posted meeting materials and documentation that spells out any final conditions or next steps. Those details are where residents will find the practical boundaries—how well water is used, when it ends, and how safeguards are enforced.

Sources

• City of Port Washington Board of Public Works agenda (July 14, 2026) — item: Well Permits for the Data Center
• Ozaukee Press — Vantage seeks permission to use well water
• Wisconsin DNR — Port Washington Data Center Proposal