Waukesha’s request to divert water from the Lake Michigan would be scaled back significantly, under changes made by officials considering the proposal. The city is seeking to be the first in the nation to be allowed to access water under the Great Lakes Compact.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the plan outlined during a meeting in Chicago this week would reduce the water Waukesha could take each day from about 10 million gallons to 8.2 million. It would also reduce the size of the area that could service, and would require three other communities that currently rely on Waukesha for water to obtain their own supplies.
The changes have not been finalized, with officials from the eight Great Lakes states and two Canadian provinces set to hold a public call and another meeting next month. If they sign-off on the agreement then, a final vote could take place in June.
In a statement, a broad coalition of environmental group praised the regional council for making a thorough review of the plan, calling it “the first test of the Great Lakes Compact.”
Waukesha is seeking to access water from the Great Lakes because of excess radium in its current groundwater supply.