U.S. Water News Online
WAUKESHA, Wis. -- A coalition of environmental groups is asking that Waukesha choose to implement several water conservation measures before seeking additional water sources.
The recommendations from the coalition were announced at the Lee Sherman Dreyfus State Office Building, next to the Fox River.
The comments from the environmental advocates come as a decision is considered imminent on whether Waukesha will be allowed to access Lake Michigan water. The state Department of Natural Resources said recently the Council of Great Lakes Governors is expected to vote soon on an agreement that would allow the city to access water from Lake Michigan.
But Waukesha Water Utility Manager Dan Duchniak said at a meeting this summer that if the agreement forced Waukesha to return its wastewater to Milwaukee, the deal would be harmful to the environment and prohibitively expensive. The return clause was part of the agreement when drafted.
One part of the report recommends conservation standards be placed in the pending council agreement, known as the Annex 2001 agreement.
Calling the recommendations a tool kit, Jodi Habush Sinykin, counsel for Midwest Environmental Advocates, said, "We are interested in using this tool kit to call residents and public officials' attention to those conservation measures likely to prove most beneficial and to build support for their implementation throughout Waukesha and Waukesha County."
She added, "While city and utility officials continue to express a commitment to water conservation, we hope they use the tool kit to follow through on promises made to date."
Steven Schmuki, president of the Waukesha County Environmental Action League said, "We see this as part of a process. We need to conserve and preserve as much of this resource as we can. And now seems to be the time to say that."
Duchniak said the utility agrees with most of the goals but added the statutory changes are larger than just Waukesha.
"Most of these recommendations go along with our goal of reducing Waukesha's water usage by 20 percent by the year 2020," he said. "So we look forward to working with them on conservation."
The Waukesha Water Utility released a statement saying the Midwest Environmental Advocates recommendations are consistent with a plan the city revealed in May to conserve, replenish and protect water resources.
"We will protect water during every step of the water cycle, from rainfall and snow melt to the groundwater that recharges our lakes, streams and rivers," Duchniak said in the statement.
The Waukesha Common Council recently passed an ordinance limiting the hours of lawn sprinkling and car washing, adding that more stringent restrictions could be implemented in times of severe water shortages.
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