On Waukesha water, a prediction
Having the anti-science, 'chamber-of-commerce mentality' Walker DNR promoting the precedent-setting diversion plan does not help Waukesha make its case, especially since some water is ticketed to open, growth acreage outside city limits.
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Wisconsin’s Compact implementation law – supported by environmental groups – created water supply services areas throughout the state. The purpose is to help all communities manage sewer and water services with a focus on watersheds instead of political boundaries. For that reason, it prohibits services from being limited to city boundaries.
The law also requires the new water supply service areas to be consistent with existing sewer service areas that, for decades, have helped meet regional water quality goals. This also complies with the Compact requirements to minimize the return of out-of-basin water and to maximize the return of basin water to the Great Lakes.
Your position that the water supply service area should be smaller would cause out-of-basin water to be returned to the Great Lakes, violating the Compact. Or, alternatively, it would require the sewer service area to also be shrunk, forcing existing residents to continue to rely on septic systems instead of sewer systems, eventually leading to groundwater pollution.
Your repeated claim that the service area is intended to promote growth is untrue. The area outside of the city is largely residential and largely developed (but currently on wells). Only 0.2% of that area is undeveloped commercial land and only 0.5% is undeveloped industrial land.
The service area was drawn by regional planners to meet the need of existing residents through effective planning and to comply with the law. It is not about growth.
Having read the Draft, Waukesha has a very weak case.
Waukesha is no Southern California.
Why don't they install radium filters on the remaining deep aquifer wells?
Long term they don't have a water shortage unless they overdevelop and that's their choice. Nobody is forcing them to grow beyond their ability to provide precious water. If every community isn't watching and learning from Southern California's self created problem, you deserve to be a wasteland.
Waukesha has either a very corrupt, or completely incompetent governance.
And City of Waukesha plans to develop Hwy 164 south of town all the way to Big Bend with commercial, retail, and industrial.
The application is all about growth.
It's about the development of an industrial park in what is now the Town of Waukesha.
Without a municipal source of water and sewer it likely won't happen.
Why do you think the Waukesha Business Alliance has been a primary cheerleader for the Diversion Exception? It's highly unlikely they (meaning business owners throughout Waukesha County) are concerned about the radium level in the water because they know the radium can be filtered - and already is in some wells.
The City of Waukesha water utility has already spent $820,000 on a D.C. lobbyist to help with federal funding and to support the application.
Bad news Bill, that ship sailed.
DNR confirms in the Draft Report that Waukesha lied about the deep aquifer dropping 5-9 feet per year per their records in the 2010 application.
"The area outside of the city is largely residential and largely developed (but currently on wells)."
True enough, Bill. And as soon as a developer is able to connect an older Town subdivision with it's huge lots to a Lake Michigan municipal water source and sewer, he will buy everyone out and redevelop it with postage stamp sized city lots and mega apartment complexes.
Deceitfulness is not an admirable quality.
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