DNR to Milwaukee: Negotiations Must Include Entire Water Service Area

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett tells Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Waukesha should still negotiate under Milwaukee's terms – terms that would exclude parts of Waukesha's future water service area.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will review Waukesha’s application to divert Lake Michigan water based on its water service area – not municipal jurisdictions – and it will require Waukesha’s water provider to supply water for the entire water service area. DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp clarified Thursday in a letter to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett the DNR’s position as Milwaukee has refused to negotiate with Waukesha’s entire future water service area. Instead, Milwaukee is only agreeing to negotiate a water purchase for the Waukesha’s current water service area. “Given this clear statutory link between the diversion application and the water supply service area, the department will insist that the entity with which the city …

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Can Water Deal With Milwaukee be Revived?

A Milwaukee alderman is asking his Common Council to reconsider its action that prevents it from beginning a Lake Michigan water sales negotiation with Waukesha.

Looking to jump start negations for a Lake Michigan water sales agreement between Waukesha and Milwaukee, a Milwaukee alderman has introduced legislation that would partially change a previous decision that killed negotiations earlier this month. Milwaukee Alderman Jim Bohl’s looking to have the Milwaukee Common Council begin negotiations that would include two separate agreements, one for Waukesha’s current water service area and one for the city’s future water service area. Waukesha’s future water service area is set by the Southeastern Regional Planning Commission and includes property in the towns of Waukesha, Delafield and Genesee and City of Pewaukee. The Milwaukee Common Council decided earlier this month it would negotiate only …

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Waukesha to Milwaukee: Begin Water Sale Negotiations Now or Lose Opportunity

Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak informs Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett that Waukesha "can wait no longer" for the Lake Michigan community to begin negotiations.

Milwaukee’s stance on Waukesha’s future water service area – an area that is set by the Southeastern Regional Planning Commission and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – is preventing the Lake Michigan community from negotiating with Waukesha a water sales agreement, warned Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak in a letter to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. “Milwaukee cannot unilaterally overturn state laws on water supply service areas,” Duchniak said in the letter. In order to be considered in the negotiation process, Milwaukee must immediately authorize negotiations in “good faith” for Waukesha that would include the city’s entire future water service area. The Milwaukee Common Council recently passed a resolution…

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Is Milwaukee Water Deal With Waukesha Dead?

Milwaukee aldermen's stance on Waukesha's future water service area could kill negotiations before the negotiations formally begin.

While Waukesha’s been knee-deep in negotiations to purchase Lake Michigan water from Oak Creek and Racine, the toes are barely dipping in with Milwaukee. Waukesha’s attempt to start negotiations with Milwaukee came to an apparent stop after a Milwaukee Common Council voted to begin negotiations with Waukesha – on the condition that negotiations include only the current water service area in Waukesha. Waukesha, however, is seeking a water sale for its future service area, which includes portions of the Town of Waukesha, Town of Genesee and the City of Pewaukee. The Milwaukee aldermen do not want to negotiate a water sales deal that would include those communities. “It is not a workable solution for us,” said Waukesha Water Utility General …

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Mike

10:24 am on Saturday, July 7, 2012

I agree. I live in Waukesha and have rental properties in Milwaukee. They keep jacking up rates, fees, and taxes. They want to control others while they go downhill. So much for ending the "civil war" and wanting to get along with other communities.   more ›

Waukesha Water Negotiations Stalling In Milwaukee

A Milwaukee alderman brings forward proposal that Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak says is essentially refusing to negotiate.

Water Negotiations Between Oak Creek, Waukesha Continue

Oak Creek residents could see water rates decrease by as much as 25 percent if the city's water utility successfully lands the Waukesha contract.

Oak Creek, one of three cities that might provide Waukesha with Lake Michigan water, could find out by July if it will add the city to its service area. A successful negotiation could pay off for Oak Creek residents -- under current projections, rates could go down by 25 percent if the city got the contract, utility engineer Mike Sullivan said. But discussions still have a little ways to go. And after the negotiations made headlines in March, Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak gave the Oak Creek Common Council some background about the city's quest for lake water in a presentation Tuesday night. Waukesha is in this situation because problems such as radium, saltwater and arsenic have put the city's water supply out of …

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Water Negotiations With Milwaukee Could Begin Next Month

Leaders from Waukesha and Milwaukee agree that negotiations for Waukesha to purchase Lake Michigan water from Milwaukee "should begin without delay," letter states.

Officials from the Waukesha Water Utility will meet with Milwaukee's technical staff next week as Waukesha looks to open negotiations to purchase Lake Michigan water from Milwaukee. While the meeting doesn’t jump start negotiations, it is a step forward as Waukesha leaders want to add Milwaukee to its list of potential water suppliers. Waukesha is already in the midst of negotiations with Oak Creek's and Racine's water utilities. After Milwaukee’s technical staff reviews the information Waukesha has provided to them, the Milwaukee Common Council will have to open negotiations. “We are hopeful that that process will start move forward next month,” said Dan Duchniak, Waukesha Water Utility general manager, during a phone interview with Patch…

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More Neighborhood Meetings Scheduled on Future Water Supply

Check out these meetings to learn more about the city’s Great Lakes diversion application, the problems that face the city’s well water supply and what the next steps are as the city meets a June 2018 deadline to remove radium from the water supply.

Have you heard about the problems the Waukesha Water Utility faces in developing a new water supply? Have you ever wished someone would ask a certain question about the Great Lakes water application and you wanted a clear answer? The Waukesha Water Utility and area aldermen are teaming together to hold neighborhood meetings about the city’s future water supply. The in-depth discussion includes a history of groundwater resources in Waukesha, where the city is at now and why the Waukesha Water Utility is seeking Lake Michigan water to address its long-term water needs. Here’s what happened at some other meetings: Members of the Waukesha Common Council and Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak are holding the meetings from 6:30 …

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Neighborhood Meeting Flushes Away Water Supply Misconceptions

More than 70 people were present at neighborhood meeting about the city’s future water supply.

Waukesha Alderman Andy Reiland was happy with the turnout at his neighborhood meeting about the city’s search for a new water supply. More than 70 people were present as they learned more about radium, water quality and quantity issues and what options the city faces as it attempts to hit a June 2018 deadline to reduce radium levels. The presentation was similar to the one in Alderman Terry Thieme’s district where residents were surprised to learn that radium wasn’t the only issue facing Waukesha. Waukesha’s applying to divert Lake Michigan water past the Subcontinental Divide and to return it to the lake through the Great Lakes Compact. Waukesha needs approval of all Great Lakes states in order to do so. “This is clearly the best solution…

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3 Lake Michigan Mayors Question Waukesha Over Water Diversion Application

Oak Creek's appointed mayor signs letter that Waukesha council president feels followed Milwaukee's lead.

The mayors of the three Lake Michigan communities that have been identified as possible water suppliers to Waukesha sent Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima and Common Council President Paul Ybarra, questioning them about the city’s conservation measures, rate increase requests and water service area. “Due to the precedent setting nature of Waukesha’s diversion application under the Great Lakes Compact, we feel a great responsibility to ensure that our decisions and our actions are protective of Lake Michigan and its tributary streams,” the letter states. “It is important that the City of Waukesha understand that our three communities agree that the issues identified in this letter are important to all who will participate in any future discussions…

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