Town of Mukwonago - Town officials have sent a message to the City of Waukesha applauding its decision to seek Lake Michigan water but expressed 'grave concerns' about the city's plans to potentially place shallow wells on a parcel in the neighboring Town of Waukesha.
In a letter this week from Mukwonago Town Chairman Dave Dubey, the town said, 'As a neighboring municipality, we wish to express our communities' grave concerns regarding the potential adverse impacts on the ground water situation within Mukwonago, should the City of Waukesha move forward with placement of shallow wells on the Lathers property in the Town of Waukesha.'
The city has voted to condemn land formerly owned by Fred Lathers and proposed for development by Fiduciary Real Estate Development Inc. - seeking about 12 acres for placement of shallow wells as a back-up supply to Lake Michigan water, which the city wants as its primary supply. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources last week closed on the purchase of 60 adjacent acres, part of an eventual 200-acre expansion of the Vernon Marsh.
While the Town of Waukesha is preparing a wellhead protection ordinance that seeks to impose controls over any city-drilled wells, the Town of Mukwonago has now added its voice to the fray.
Dubey's letter said the town applauds the city's foresight in seeking Lake Michigan water as a permanent solution to its state-ordered requirement to reduce cancer-causing radium from its water supply.
If the application for lake water fails - it needs approval of eight states - Dubey asked the city to sit down not only with the Town of Waukesha 'but also other potentially impacted communities' to discuss concerns and craft safeguards to protect resources, Dubey wrote.