Waukesha Delaying Water Diversion Scheme; Milwaukee Has Nothing To Review

A City of Milwaukee Council Committee is set Wednesday to react to the City of Waukesha's request for a letter of support for its Lake Michigan diversion application.

The application was supposed to be released last week, but Waukesha has announced a delay because it has, at the 11th hour, replaced its lead consultant.

With only Waukesha's intentions on the table, Milwaukee's Committee on Public Works should table (postpone) its consideration until it has something in writing to consider.

This will not influence Waukesha's interest in buying water from Milwaukee, and might spur Waukesha to get its consulting house and application in order - - something that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources could have been steering in a positive way if it had embarked on rule-making more than a year ago.

The whole process looks more and more rudderless; Milwaukee should be cautious in supporting a process that, so far, is disappointingly squishy.