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09/26/24 07:00:am
Blue Notes graphic from MMSD's Executive Director Kevin Shafter

Today, like most days, I woke up and had a glass of Lake Michigan.  I then used Lake Michigan to brew some coffee, take a shower, and brush my teeth.  Sometimes, I use Lake Michigan to wash my truck.  On hot summer days, I use Lake Michigan to water my plants.  Lake Michigan has never failed me in these efforts.  It is always refreshing, clean, and abundant.

Of course, as I say this, I am talking about the water I use every day, water from Lake Michigan.  Most folks don’t think about it this way, but, if you use water from a public utility in the Milwaukee area, Lake Michigan is where it comes from.  

kayaker on lake michigan under bridge

This is why the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) needs your help.  We all need to protect Lake Michigan so that we can use it in our daily lives and for recreational benefits, tourism, and the health of our environment.

While MMSD still has occasional combined sewer overflows (CSO’s), they only happen around two times a year.  MMSD is performing much better than the State and federal government requires, but none of us wants to have these overflows.  That is why MMSD continues to invest in upgrading our systems to perform more efficiently, treat more water, and reduce these CSO’s.

What happens on all those other rainy days of the year when we do not have CSO’s?  Science tells us that pollution is also coming from the stormwater that flows over our fields, yards, roadways, and homes.  This occurs every time it rains or the snow melts.  Finding a sustainable way to reduce this pollution while also improving our way of life is important.  This is where green or natural infrastructure helps. 

Disconnecting downspouts and foundation drains from the sanitary sewers, installing rain barrels, installing rain gardens, redesigning roads with bioswales to capture runoff, using porous pavement for parking lots, and installing a green roof, where possible, all help.  Some of these steps are very easy and cheap; others take more resources.  MMSD has programs to offset some of these costs.  MMSD is also investing in greening our area’s school yards, working with the highway system to reduce runoff, and working with farmers. 

We cannot live without fresh water; we need to do all we can to protect this resource.  In Milwaukee, that means protecting Lake Michigan, so think about what you can do to protect the Lake the next time you drink her.

MMSD'Kevin Shafer signature

Kevin L. Shafer, P.E.
Executive Director - Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District 

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Our actions inside and outside our homes can protect our drinking water, Lake Michigan, and help reduce the risk of sewer water backing up into your basement or overflowing into our waterways.