The state Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday restarted its review of Waukesha's historic application for a Great Lakes water source, a process that stalled in June after Waukesha's newly elected mayor raised questions about the city's proposal.
Waukesha is the first community outside the Great Lakes drainage basin to seek a diversion of water under terms of a regional Great Lakes protection compact. In announcing its decision to reopen the review, DNR officials said Tuesday that its study of the plan's environmental impact will extend into next year.
Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank also informed city officials that their request for Lake Michigan water is not complete, and more information is needed.
Among details the department seeks are costs to Oak Creek and Racine if they are tapped to supply lake water to Waukesha and an explanation of why Waukesha wants to discharge its treated wastewater to Underwood Creek in Wauwatosa regardless of whether it buys water from Milwaukee, Oak Creek or Racine, said Bruce Baker, DNR water division administrator.
The Great Lakes compact requires a community to return water to a lake as close as possible to where it is withdrawn, Baker said.
'The application lacks detail on why Waukesha selected Underwood Creek as its best option for all three possible sources,' he said.
The creek flows into the Menomonee River, a tributary of the Milwaukee River that empties into Lake Michigan at the Milwaukee harbor.
Baker said he intends to meet with Waukesha officials within the next few weeks to discuss deficiencies in the application.
Knowing all costs of supplying lake water to Waukesha is critical to the review, Baker said. The city also must provide documentation that each of the three possible suppliers agrees with estimates of any costs they will pay, he said.
'Once we determine that the application is complete, we will continue to work with the city as we conduct a detailed review and analysis of the application.' Frank says in a letter forwarded Tuesday to Common Council President Paul Ybarra.
Decision reaffirmed
The department's decision to restart the review came after the council in late July reaffirmed its April decision that there is no reasonable water supply alternative other than Lake Michigan available to the city.
On June 8, DNR staff questioned whether the April action and subsequent application were the city's final decision after Mayor Jeff Scrima, newly elected in April, publicly stated that he was continuing to pursue other water sources.
Scrima has criticized the application and does not think a Lake Michigan supply is the best choice for the city. He has pushed for the city to use several sources - existing deep wells tainted with radium, more shallow wells, local quarries, the Fox River and new wells built on the banks of the river.
City's official policy
But the council's July letter to Frank states that the council's decision, not the mayor's opinion, is the official policy of the city.
'The city is without adequate supplies of potable water that are environmentally and economically sustainable for the long term,' the letter says.
Waukesha would abandon deep wells drawing water contaminated with radium from sandstone if it is able to purchase lake water, according to the application.
Frank responded to the council in his letter Tuesday.
'You must understand that the questions raised by the Mayor will be among those that the Department will consider through the review process,' Frank writes.
Position applauded
Scrima on Tuesday applauded the DNR's stance.
'They've had some of the same questions I've had,' he said.
'I'm glad we have them as the objective judge' of the application, Scrima said. 'My questioning of the application will only make the application better.'
Waukesha's application must be approved by Wisconsin and each of the other seven Great Lakes states, under terms of a Great Lakes protection compact.