Mayor Jeff Scrima, the lone voice publicly opposing requesting water from Lake Michigan, caused the Department of Natural Resources to stop working on the City’s application, after he wrote a letter opposing the application.

This week, the Waukesha Common Council voted 13-1, to approve writing to DNR, asking state environment officials to resume the review process for the city’s application for water.

The Common Council told DNR Lake Michigan water is the old reasonable alternative for the city.

JSOnline reports that more than 50 residents attended Tuesday’s meeting, with 16 speaking, six for the application, two against and eight recommending the application proceed, without stating a position.

See the full story at JSOnline.com

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Like a lone voice in the wilderness, Waukesha Mayor, Jeff Scrima is the only city official opposed to an application for a Lake Michigan water supply. As a candidate for mayor, Scrima opposed the Great Lakes plan and remains committed to that position.

Scrima has an alternative plan, but each of his proposals have been previously rejected by various water supply experts. Rather than requesting access to Lake Michigan water, with an estimated start-up cost of $164 million, critics say Scrima’s plan would cost around $211 million. The basis of his plan is to treat water from deep wells that is high in radium, drill more shallow wells and treat water pumped from quarries.

Some people question what Waukesha locals are doing to conserve water, saying they are using much more water than their fair share and want to take water from other places to meet their selfish needs.

When the Water Utility presented him with a letter stating a lake water supply was the only reasonable option available to the city, Scrima refused to sign it, and he wrote to Department of Natural Resources saying the city should not move ahead with the application. That caused the department to suspend reviewing the city application.

As reported at the end of last month, the Chamber of Commerce supports the bid for Lake Water Waukesha Chamber of Commerce Asks Members to Support Lake Michigan Water Bid

Critics of the radium treatment plan say the operating costs of radium treatment will climb as radium concentrations continue to increase. They also say continued drawing of water from the local wells is unsustainable, citing the fact that water levels are already down 600 feet.

See the in-depth story at JSOnline.com Waukesha News

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The Waukesha County Chamber of Commerce has asked members to sign an online petition, to support the Waukesha Common Council decision to seek water from Lake Michigan.

Local support for the move varies, depending who you talk to. Waukesha residents have low taxes and a water supply fed by wells, of generally lower quality and containing radium. Milwaukee residents have higher taxes, and much more water, of higher quality.

Many Waukesha wells are up to 2000 feet deep, with water levels around 600 feet below the surface. Drawdown is around 5 to 10 feet per year and the amount of dissolved solids is increasing. In some areas the amount of radium in the water is increasing. Radium is linked to cone cancer.

There is a high probability for contamination of groundwater in the county. The depth to seasonal high water varies from a few feet to around 30 feet in most areas, with some much lower.

See the story and a discussion at JSOnline.com for more information on this subject.

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State DNR Secretary Matthew Frank told Mayor Jeff Scrima Wednesday in a letter that the department will not begin reviewing Waukesha’s application for a Great Lakes water supply until the mayor and other city officials stop their search for other possible sources. View full post on JSOnline.com Waukesha News

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Waukesha – Mayor Jeff Scrima is demanding that water utility staff highlight all changes made in a city application for a Great Lakes water supply between the time the Common Council approved the plan on April 8 and it was submitted to state environmental officials six weeks later. View full post on JSOnline.com Waukesha News

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