SEWRPC to hold Public Informational Meetings about their Proposed Regional Water Supply Plan

The South Eastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) is planning on briefing the public on their preliminary recommended regional water supply plan and to provide opportunity for public comment.  The schedule of meetings follows this post.

 

Staff will be available in an open house format from 5 to 7 PM with a formal presentation by SEWRPC staff at 6 PM. Milwaukee Riverkeeper hopes that the final plan addresses the long-term sustainability of our drinking water supply and aquatic resources in SE Wisconsin, with special consideration to protection of groundwater sources, groundwater quality, and effects of proposed water supply alternatives on surface water resources. Several alternatives recommend that communities currently using groundwater from the deep aquifer that are east of the Continental Divide switch to either Lake Michigan water or to shallow aquifers to allow for recharge of the deep aquifer. Switching from deep to shallow aquifers for water supply is likely to cause reductions in baseflow in many of our area streams and effects on water quality and quantity need to be considered. The SEWRPC study also recommends that Waukesha apply for a Great Lakes diversion at roughly 9 million gallons per day. Waukesha has initially told us that if they submit a diversion application under the Great Lakes Compact, it would be most likely 24 MGD. This diversion would also have significant effects on the baseflow of Underwood Creek of whatever stream is chosen to return this flow from Waukesha to the Great Lakes (required under the Compact).