Wed March 03, 2021 - Midwest Edition #5
Cindy Riley â CEG Correspondent
The first project to break ground was the phosphorous enhancements at the clean water plant.
(Waukesha Water Utility)
Construction crews in Wisconsin are working on a $286 million project that s designed to provide safe, sustainable and reliable water for years to come. The city of Waukesha is under a court order to be in full compliance with federal drinking water standards for radium by September 2023. Waukesha s current primary water source is a confined deep aquifer, said Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Daniel Duchniak. The aquifer is severely drawn down, due to years of use in southeastern Wisconsin. Recharge of the aquifer is limited by the shale confining layer, making long-term reliance unsustainable. Also, as aquifer levels have declined, the levels of natural contaminants such as radium have increased.