Target Tosa; A Water Discharge Fee Would Help

You've gotta feel for Wauwatosa these days.

Traffic will be messed up there for years when the full Zoo Interchange reconstruction and widening gets underway. That's an eight-year deal.

UWM wants to build on 89 County Grounds acres, with harsh impacts to open space and a world-class natural phenomenon - - the Monarch Butterfly habitat.

Now here comes Waukesha with a plan to dump all its wastewater - - around 11 million gallons daily - - into Underwood Creek that flows right through Wauwatosa.

There's a public meeting on the plan next Tuesday, at 5 p.m. at the public library - - details here - - where Waukesha will tell Wauwatosa residents and Milwaukeeans on the west side there will be no flooding risk and nothing but aquatic benefits arriving in the added flow.

When the Root River was under consideration, State Rep. Cory Mason, (D-Caledonia), said forget about it, and we haven't heard much about that option since.

"We're not Waukesha's toilet," he said.

Hence- - target Tosa.

And though the DNR will ultimately decide if the discharge to Underwood Creek is environmentally allowable, and the Great Lakes Governors will decide if Waukesha can divert Lake Michigan water in the first place, Wauwatosa had better take note of what Waukesha has in mind for its tributary.

Might Wauwatosa inquire what size impact fee Waukesha intends to pay Wauwatosa for the privilege?