Johnson's Park Stormwater Demonstration

 

Stormwater runoff is one of the largest sources of nonpoint pollution in Milwaukee and throughout the United States. Polluted runoff from our streets, roofs and yards rushes into our rivers and Lake Michigan either directly or through stormwater sewer systems.

In much of Milwaukee, however, the stormwater runoff is combined with wastewater and sent through the combined sewer system to treatment plants in order to be cleaned.

 

On rainy days, the volume can overwhelm the system’s capacity, causing the combined sewerage system to overflow into the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan.

 

Milwaukee Riverkeeper, American Rivers, and the Milwaukee River Basin Partnership have initiated a stormwater demonstration project that will curb the amount of runoff that enters the combined sewers, thus cutting down on the likelihood of combined sewer overflows.

 

The project is located in the Johnson’s Park Neighborhood on 18th Street between Walnut and Brown. We have managed stormwater by disconnecting downspouts and re-routing the runoff into rain barrels and rain gardens, where it can either be re-used, or absorbed into the ground.

 

The intent of the project is to demonstrate that these practices can decrease flow to our sewers, minimize sewer overflows and ultimately protect our Great Lakes. We will be encouraging these practices within the City of Milwaukee - both in combined and separated sewer systems.

 

We’d like to thank the following funders for supporting this project: Brico Fund, the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, the Joyce Foundation, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Alliance for the Great Lakes.