Milwaukee County panel opposes Waukesha's plan for wastewater effluent

Published on: 4/13/2010

Milwaukee County would go on record opposing the use of Underwood Creek and other county streams for treated sewage effluent from Waukesha, under action endorsed by a County Board panel Tuesday.

The board's parks committee voted 4-2 to oppose Waukesha's plan to use the streams as a means to return Lake Michigan water the western suburb wants to buy. The full County Board will take up the question April 22.

Milwaukee County supervisors said the effort to block the sewage discharges was needed to protect the streams from erosion and pollution. Supervisors accused Waukesha of attempting an end-run around Milwaukee County in an effort to advance the cheapest option for return of purchased lake water.

"You have been sidestepped on this process," Supervisor Patricia Jursik told members of the panel.

"We've been treated purely as an afterthought," said Supervisor Theo Lipscomb.

Waukesha has submitted a draft proposal for buying lake water to the state Department of Natural Resources that includes use of Underwood Creek as one of four alternatives for carrying treated wastewater. Waukesha is the first community to seek diversion of Great Lakes water under terms of a 2008 compact with Great Lakes states and Canadian provinces.

Permission is needed because Waukesha lies outside the Lake Michigan basin. Waukesha seeks Lake Michigan water because of radium pollution in its underground aquifer water supply.

Dan Duchniak, Waukesha's water utility manager, said he disagreed with criticism from supervisors. He said the use of the creek for return flows would not create flooding or pollution problems. It was unfortunate the committee made a decision without hearing a detailed proposal, he said.

The panel declined to delay consideration of the return flow plan until May.

Flow monitors in Underwood Creek would enable Waukesha to shut off city effluent if the creek level got so high it could cause erosion problems, Duchniak said. Water quality in Underwood Creek would improve because treated Waukesha wastewater is cleaner than existing creek flows, he said, adding that the effluent could also improve fish habitat by providing steady flows through summer months, when the creek sometimes slows to a trickle.

"We are being shortsighted if we are not looking at wastewater effluent as a resource," Duchniak said.

Supervisors Marina Dimitrijevic, Christopher Larson, Lipscomb and Gerry Broderick voted in favor of blocking the water plan. Supervisors Joseph Rice and Joe Sanfelippo voted against the effort to block the water plan.

Rice said formal county action should be deferred for a month to give Waukesha a chance to make a formal presentation to Milwaukee County officials.