MMSD Green Luminary® Award | Milwaukee Area Technical College

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is helping manage water where it falls with their recent green infrastructure (GI) projects at two of their campuses. Together, the GI installed as part of these projects can manage up to nearly 375,000 gallons of stormwater each time it rains. MATC has a strong motivation for sustainability and is working towards a net zero carbon goal for 2030. Though net zero carbon is mostly an energy and commuting emissions-related goal, other sustainability means, such as water reduction and protection, are extremely important.

The MATC Downtown Milwaukee Campus installed a green roof and a pocket park, a (small publicly accessible park) that employs a variety of GI types. Together, these GI strategies manage nearly 24,000 gallons of stormwater every time it rains.

Green roofs grow vegetation to improve a roof’s performance and help manage water where it falls. MATC's green roof stores water using a conventional sedum green roof, under paver storage, and planters, which the school’s Culinary Department will use to grow herbs and teach about the importance of urban gardens.  The roof will be publicly accessible from a skywalk connecting the campus’s Health Sciences Building and the Technical and Applied Sciences Building.

The MATC Oak Creek Campus installed an underground water detention system beneath a renovated turf sports field that can manage over 350,000 gallons of stormwater every time it rains. In addition to managing all that water, the renovation keeps the field in playable condition at a far greater frequency than the old field. Converting the baseball field to an artificial turf surface also allows for a reduction in maintenance in lawn mowing, irrigation, and other maintenance materials.

How You Can Protect Lake Michigan

Plant a Rain Garden

Rain gardens help reduce sewer overflows and water pollution by absorbing stormwater runoff from hard surfaces into the ground naturally. Learn how to plant a rain garden and help protect Lake Michigan.

Text: WATERDROP to 414-296-4422 for Española texto GOTADEAGUA a 414-296-4422

Receive Water Drop Alert text messages when heavy rain threatens the area. When a Water Drop Alert has been issued, a reminder is sent to use less water.

What do you do when an alert is issued?

• Hold off on washing dishes and laundry
• Take a shorter shower 
• Empty your rain barrel

Install a Rain Barrel

Get FREE water by the barrel from your roof and use it when it’s dry outside to use in your landscape.  Rain barrels help keep excess water out of the sewer system and help reduce water pollution.