Here & Now

Waukesha To Draw Water From Lake Michigan

BUT WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH A FIRST FOR WISCONSIN AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION. THERE WILL BE A NEW SOURCE OF WATER FOR THE CITY OF WAUKESHA FOLLOWING AN HISTORIC VOTE THIS WEEK IN CHICAGO ON THE PART OF EIGHT GREAT LAKES STATES. THE VOTE, THE FIRST OF ITS KIND UNDER THE GREAT LAKES COMPACT, CLEARS THE WAY FOR THE CITY TO DRAW LAKE MICHIGAN WATER. WAUKESHA’S CURRENT WATER IS CONTAMINATED WITH RADIUM BECAUSE THE CITY’S WELLS HAVE BEEN DRAWN DOWN DUE TO HEAVY USE BROUGHT ON BY DEVELOPMENT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

LAKE MICHIGAN WATER HAS BEEN CALLING TO THE CITY TO THE WEST FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. AND AFTER LONG SCIENTIFIC STUDY, WAUKESHA DETERMINED THE GREAT LAKES BOUNTY WAS THE ONLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO ITS WATER WOES. OVER THE YEARS, EIGHT STATES, CHARGED WITH UPHOLDING THE FEDERAL LAW KNOWN AS THE GREAT LAKES COMPACT, CAME TO AGREE, CULMINATING THIS WEEK.

MAN:

ILLINOIS.

MAN:

MR. CHAIRMAN, ILLINOIS VOTES TO APPROVE.

MAN:

INDIANA.

MAN:

INDIANA VOTES TO APPROVE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WITH THE REQUIRED UNANIMOUS VOTE APPROVING WAUKESHA’S DIVERSION OF LAKE MICHIGAN WATER. BUT IT WAS ARDUOUS AND COMPLICATED BECAUSE THE COMPACT PROHIBITS WATER FROM BEING PUMPED BY COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE THE GREAT LAKES BASIN, BUT DOES INCLUDE AN EXCEPTION FOR POPULATIONS THAT STRADDLE THE DIVIDING LINE LIKE WAUKESHA.

SHAWN REILLY:

I’M VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESULT OF THE VOTE AND I’M HAPPY FOR THE CITY OF WAUKESHA, THAT THEY HAVE A CLEAN, SAFE, SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF WATER.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VOTE, WAUKESHA WILL BE ABLE TO DIVERT NO MORE THAN 8.2 MILLION GALLONS A DAY OF LAKE MICHIGAN WATER AND MUST RETURN 100% OF IT BACK TO THE LAKE. IT WILL BE TREATED AND RETURNED VIA THE ROOT RIVER, WHICH EMPTIES INTO LAKE MICHIGAN IN RACINE. ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO OPPOSE THE WATER DIVERSION PLAN, ESPECIALLY DON’T LIKE THAT PART OF IT.

CHERYL NENN:

THE PEOPLE IN RACINE ARE RIGHTFULLY VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. THEY’RE NOT GETTING ANYTHING FROM THIS DIVERSION THAT’S POSITIVE. WAUKESHA IS GETTING WATER. OAK CREEK IS SELLING WATER AND ABLE TO GET REVENUE FROM THAT. AND RACINE IS GETTING INCREASED POLLUTION INTO A RIVER THAT’S ALREADY IMPAIRED FOR NUTRIENTS AND SOLIDS AND OTHER THINGS. THEY’RE CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER THIS WILL IMPACT THEIR ABILITY TO ENJOY A CLEAN, FISHABLE, SWIMMABLE RIVER.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BUT OTHERS SAY WATER QUALITY WILL NOT SUFFER.

JOHN SKALBECK:

FROM A REGIONAL WATER MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS THE BEST THING. THE CURRENT GROUNDWATER WITHDRAWAL THAT WAUKESHA USES FOR THEIR WATER SUPPLY IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. IT’S NOT SUSTAINABLE FROM A QUANTITY STANDPOINT OR A WATER QUALITY STANDPOINT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ONE OVERRIDING CONCERN OF OPPONENTS IS THE PRECEDENT THE WAUKESHA PLAN COULD SET FOR OTHER STATES WHO MIGHT NEED GREAT LAKES WATER.

EZRA MYER:

IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE QUITE A HIGH BAR THAT THIS TYPE OF APPLICATION HAD TO MEET TO BE APPROVED. IT’S MAYBE NOT QUITE AS HIGH AS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT SET WITH THIS FIRST ONE OUT OF THE GATE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BUT AFTER SO MUCH TECHNICAL STUDY AND SO MANY YEARS, WISCONSIN OFFICIALS SAY THE FIRST IN THE NATION APPROVAL LEAVES THEM RELIEVED AND THANKFUL.

CATHY STEPP:

I JUST THINK IT’S A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY. I KNOW THE GOVERNOR IS JUST THRILLED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WISCONSIN ONCE AGAIN HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD AND SHOW THE NATION HOW WE CAN HAVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND JOB CREATION AT THE SAME TIME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE WAUKESHA CAN BEGIN PUMPING LAKE MICHIGAN WATER. THE CITY STILL NEEDS TO ACQUIRE STATE AND FEDERAL PERMITS AND COMPLETE UPWARDS OF $200 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION OF WATER PIPELINES. THE MINNESOTA AND MICHIGAN GOVERNOR DELEGATES BROUGHT LAST-MINUTE AMENDMENTS BEFORE THE VOTE SEEKING ASSURANCES THAT WISCONSIN’S DNR WOULD AND COULD ENFORCE THE CONDITIONS OF WAUKESHA’S WATER DIVERSION PLAN. HAD THOSE AMENDMENTS NOT PASSED, MINNESOTA WE’RE TOLD MAY NOT HAVE VOTED TO APPROVE.