Waukesha Inches Closer to Water Deal With Oak Creek

Officials serving on the Waukesha Common Council and on the Waukesha Water Utility could soon see what a potential water agreement will include with Oak Crek.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is reporting that the water utility will meet in closed session Aug. 16 to discuss negotiations and a draft agreement between Waukesha and Oak Creek.

Alderman Terry Thieme referenced the meeting during the Waukesha Common Council meeting Tuesday night during his water utility update.

Discussions are continuing with Racine, according to the Milwaukee newspaper.

Milwaukee is refusing to negotiate based on Waukesha’s future water service area. However, the for the entire service area and that water sales agreement can not be decided based on municipal boundaries. Waukesha’s water service area includes land in the towns of Delafield, Genesee and Waukesha and in City of Pewaukee.

The Waukesha Water Utility approached all three Great Lakes communities to negotiate a water sales agreement as it attempts to meet a June 2018 EPA mandate to reduce radium levels in its water supply. The city is also addressing problems with declining water quality and water levels in its groundwater system.

The Waukesha Common Council agreed more than two years ago to apply for Great Lakes water as its primary option to reduce the radium levels. The city needs approvals first from the DNR and the Wisconsin governor. Then the application advances to all the Great Lakes states, which have to also approve the application because Waukesha is located just outside the Great Lakes basin.

n to divert the water from Lake Michigan is currently pending with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Waukesha is looking to pipe water from Lake Michigan; it also plans to return the water to the Great Lakes.

The first of several water rate increases because of the project has already been implemented. The Public Service Commission approved a as Waukesha looks to develop a new water source.