Tie Water Sale To Growth Limitations In Waukesha: Poll

Noteworthy findings in a recent poll about water issues in the region., especially that 56% of respondents say Waukesha should get Lake Michigan water if it agrees to limit its development.

Here's the exact question and answers:

Milwaukee should not sell Lake Michigan water to Waukesha unless Waukesha agrees to limit development and future water demands.

• Strongly/somewhat agree: 55.9%
• Strongly/somewhat disagree: 37.3%
• Don’t know/didn’t answer: 6.8%

In other words, no water for sprawl - - and several Wisconsin organizations and lawyers familiar with water and social justice are arguing that a water sale to Waukesha could exacerbate the region's already segregated nature.

The poll was underwritten by leading Milwaukee area media, civic and academic institutions.

Also note the comment towards the end the of the news story from Bill Mielke, whose firm wrote New Berlin's diversion application, co-wrote Waukesha's 2002 comprehensive long-range water supply plan that recommended a Lake Michigan diversion, and which served as lead consultant on the SEWRPC water study that has preliminarily recommended a Lake Michigan diversion to Waukesha.

"Milwaukee has the resource capacity to easily supply Waukesha, which will drive economic development in the city,” said Bill Mielke, president of the Pewaukee engineering and consulting firm Ruekert & Mielke Inc."

"Drive economic development in the city [Waukesha]."

That's my belief, too, which is why without a deal to tie a water sale to either tax-base sharing payments to Milwaukee, or an agreement to link water sales to housing, land use and transportation matters regionally - - a controversial issue in Waukesha - - Milwaukee will lose jobs and tax base to Waukesha.