After public hearings, concerns linger on Waukesha’s drive for lake water

After public hearings, concerns linger on Waukesha's drive for lake water - Racine Journal Times, August 22, 2015
Author: Mark Schaaf

RACINE — Public hearings on Waukesha’s quest for Lake Michigan water did little to ease the fears of some in Racine, who continue to worry about the potential impact on the Root River.

The city last week hosted one of three hearings on Waukesha’s proposed diversion, part of which calls for treated wastewater to be returned to the lake via the Root River.

Supporters and opponents offer polarizing versions of how that would affect the Root.

A Racine legislator says the plan makes the Racine area “Waukesha’s toilet,” while a Waukesha official contends the discharge is actually “the clean water flushing the bad water down.”

The public hearings, hosted by the state Department of Natural Resources, were just another step in a long process — Waukesha’s proposal still needs approval of the state Department of Natural Resources and all eight Great Lakes states.

Read the complete article here.