Billions of Gallons of Sewage Dumped in Lake
Given the environmental catastrophe, we should immediately close all government sewage systems for six months until a thorough review can be done.
More than 2 billion gallons of untreated sewage and storm water spilled out of urban sewers into local waterways after last Thursday’s torrential rain storm, but even those overflows could not adequately relieve the sewers and prevent basement backups, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District says in a report to state environmental officials.
“The relief points could not get excess rain and flood water out of overburdened sewers fast enough,” the district says in a report released Tuesday to the state Department of Natural Resources. Three district rain gauges on Milwaukee’s north side recorded total rainfall of more than 8 inches Thursday and Friday.
MMSD estimates total overflows of 2.1 billion gallons - more than four times the total capacity of the district’s deep tunnel storage system - from regional sewers between Thursday evening and Sunday evening, said Peter Topczewski, the district’s director of water quality protection. The volume does not include overflows from sanitary sewers in Milwaukee and nine other communities in the metropolitan area that had acknowledged problems last week.
Combined sanitary and storm sewers in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood spilled a total of 1.985 billion gallons of a sewage and storm water mix to rivers and Lake Michigan, the report says. District-controlled separate sanitary sewers spilled an additional 171 million gallons.
I read this on another blog (can’t remember where, so I can’t credit the initial idea owner) but…
Wouldn’t it make more sense to use that money burning a hole in Doyle’s pocket to build a train from MKE to MSN to help Shorewood and Milwaukee start to separate their sanitary and storm sewers instead?
Where are all the environmentalists? Isn’t preventing poop from getting into the Lake more important than pretending people will get out of their fast cars to ride a train that is slower, less flexible and more expensive?
Just sayin’
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 0922 hrs
Yeah, that’s it! Because nobody on the right has ever decried raiding transportation funds. So there’d be no hypocrisy. </sarcasm> Good thing you forgot who’s idea that was.
Posted by Mike on July 28, 2010 at 1002 hrs
Are Milwaukee and Shorewood separating their sewers now - when they replace/rebuild existing roads? - (like capitol drive right now). At least then this problem would go away in - say 50 years.
Does anyone know?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1016 hrs
Damn BP! Someone should be fired and brought up on charges for BP’s incompetence!
Posted by Jay4Liberty on July 28, 2010 at 1106 hrs
I suggest Obama kick Tom Barrett’s ass for this.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1200 hrs
2 billion gallons of sewage in the lake - plus all the homes with backed up basements full of sewage - and let’s not forget the kid who died either.
Can we all now agree that the deep tunnel doesn’t work and that separating the sewers is the way to go now? Maybe this was the 100 year flood (but I doubt it) - but we have overflows anytime it rains more than an inch.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1203 hrs
As of 7/26 a total of 170 million gallons of oil have been spilled in the Gulf. If, as Joe Biden would say, that’s a big &$@*%# deal, why isn’t over 2 billion gallons of sewage spilled in a body of water way, way smaller than the Atlantic Ocean??? Rhetorical question, of course…
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1205 hrs
Yet another example of failed municipal infrastructure in Milwaukee County. Seems like there’s a lot of that at all levels of government down there these days.
Time for the state and federal government to establish a firm timetable by which these communities need to rectify this problem, and fine the hell out of them if they don’t.
The DNR aggressively pursues farmers who are responsible for manure runoff, and yet southeast Wisconsin is free to deposit billions of gallons of untreated sewage into the lake and nobody does a thing. Ironic.
If Minneapolis can deal with the same problem aggressively, Milwaukee can get off its lazy behind and take care of its problem too. Stop being cheap and fix your problem before a higher unit of government comes in, does it for you, and sends you the bill.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on July 28, 2010 at 1207 hrs
Barrett ran for Mayor and said Marvin Pratt had to be replaced because he wasn’t doing anything about the dumping of crap in the lake…..fast forward 2010….And you want to be my Governor???????
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1229 hrs
I was talking with an engineer that told me the deep tunnel system was never intended or designed to be a holding vessel. This minor little detail was overlooked from day one, and now so much money has been invested/wasted on this white elephant nobody will ever come clean.
It only makes sense why nothing seems to work with this system, you keep adding bells and whistles but if the original design intent is not being followed since conception your always building on a bad foundation.
Seeing some recent antics of alderman who at some point in time had to participate in discussions I just cant imagine them not processing technical information.
No I dont have any documents or links to verify any of this, just word from the industry.Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1238 hrs
Shane - I can’t speak for how Shorewood handles sewer rebuilds, but Milwaukee does not separate sewers in the combined-sewer area when it rebuilds sewers.
Posted by steveegg on July 28, 2010 at 1309 hrs
Thank goodness that Milwaukee has a competent and caring Mayor. He spent literally hours touring the devastation caused by his 6 years of inaction on the sewer system while that awful and uncaring Scott Walker went out campaigning on Saturday after having worked on the county flood response on Friday.
Mayor Barrett has shown what a great governor he would make. Even as his city’s fire and police radio system was failing and his ignored sewers were flooding, and businesses along the route of behind schedule street repairs were closing, Tom was able to devote several hours to look at damage, bringing hope to the hearts of the citizens. Yay Tom!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1326 hrs
I believe this has to be how Liberals are made. They are full of excrement, and it’s being introduced through the drinking water system. It’s just a theory, but the majority of Milwaukeeans are Liberals, so they have to be infected with the virus by everything that comes in contact with it.
Diabolically ingenious!!!!
Could explain why they refuse to separate the two systemsPosted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1351 hrs
Well those combined sewers were conceived, designed and built under socialist leadership
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1443 hrs
TerryN:
I suggest Obama kick Tom Barrett’s ass for this.
We all know obama doesn’t actually do anything himself Terry,................................................ so, it wouldn’t surprise me if there could possibly be an obama,Tony Peters connection. We are talking Chicago politics after all.
Maybe Tom should be happy he didn’t cross paths with Mr. Peters on St. Valentine’s Day, eh?Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1611 hrs
I was the guy who posted on the other blog the idea of using the train money for the sewers. But I stole the idea from Belling who was talking about it last week.
Frankly this would be the ideal political hail mary pass for Barrett that just might bring him up 10 points in the polls. I have no idea why Barrett, Doyle and Obama can’t sit in a room and abandon all the choo-choo projects and instead put the money towards this venture. It would be politically popular and make sense. It fits their checkboxes on all levels.
-Capital infrastructure spending
-Construction jobs
-Solves a known and major environmental problem.But those dopes thought up the train idea in the first place. So it doesn’t surprise me that they’ll hang onto it until the bitter end.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 28, 2010 at 1617 hrs
Wouldn’t it be time for a Blue Ribbon Commission to be appointed by the Mayor and then he can go back on the milkcarton?
Posted by hsgbdmama on July 28, 2010 at 1739 hrs
@SteveAustin: Not that the high-speed rail is exactly something with statewide benefit, but in no way, shape, or form are the people of Wisconsin as a whole responsible for a bunch of deteriorating municipal infrastructure in southeast Wisconsin.
Belling’s argument, however, does tie nicely into the constantly storyline shoved down everyone’s throat of “Milwaukee is the economic engine of Wisconsin, so give us your money to fix our problems.”
The train is a non-issue for the vast majority of voters. It’s not a matter of statewide concern. But any statewide candidate would get killed, gutted, and roasted whole if they dared suggest to outstate taxpayers that their hard-earned dollars should be spent to fix a problem that is wholly and totally the responsibility of local governments in southeast Wisconsin. People in places like Wausau and Eau Claire and Appleton are going to say “gee, our sewers work and we paid to build them. Why can’t Milwaukee County get its s@#$ together? And why should we pay for it if they can’t?”
I have no problem with the state and feds fining offending municipalities into oblivion to get this fixed. If those communities have to raise property taxes through the roof to pay for it, so be it. They’re the ones who’ve been electing crappy leaders for decades. They should pay the price for that.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on July 29, 2010 at 0012 hrs
That massive dump was dwarfed by the 2 BILLION gallons of sewage that was poured into Lake Michigan as it became mandatory because of the serious need.
Posted by Buy WoW Account on July 29, 2010 at 0613 hrs
RS - one could argue that the not-so-high-speed rail project between MKE and MSN has little to no economic benefit (even the proponents agree on that) to anyone in the state at all. Not sure how that is a winner for any state-wide race either.
Unless they are selling it as an environmental thing to get people out of those evil cars. Which it won’t.
So if all they got is to save the planet. Stopping the dumping of poop into Lake Michigan sounds like a winner compared to that.
Big Environment loses all credibility if they still push the train over the poop.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 29, 2010 at 0656 hrs
The DNR aggressively pursues farmers who are responsible for manure runoff, and yet southeast Wisconsin is free to deposit billions of gallons of untreated sewage into the lake and nobody does a thing. Ironic.
This is a key point here. Add to that we’re being legislated on the types of soap we can buy now, and you have a real demonstration on the political activism of the DNR.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 29, 2010 at 0924 hrs
push the train over the poop
Hm, maybe you are on to something here? Could Mayor Tom be thinking of running a rail line across the lake to Michigan, and using the sewage as a makeshift landfill? Ingenious!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 29, 2010 at 1014 hrs
Go down to Bradford beach and pee into the Lake - see how long it takes for you to get arrested for fouling the water.
But - go to the bathroom and flush your toilet in Milwaukee while it is raining and it’s the same effect.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 29, 2010 at 1203 hrs
@Jason: Have you ever had the pleasure of witnessing the effects of manure runoff firsthand? I have. I suspect your judgment might be different if you had a better understanding of how this kind of irresponsible behavior from farmers can ruin groundwater supplies and make drinking wells completely unusable. It’s not just that it kills a bunch of fish. Thankfully, through responsible practices, manure runoff is an issue that’s almost entirely avoidable.
Equating manure runoff to phosphate regulation, however, is silly. I don’t disagree that the DNR overreaches from time to time, but the handling of runoff is not one of those examples.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on July 29, 2010 at 1310 hrs
That’s why I have a 3 year supply of dishwashing detergent at my house.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 29, 2010 at 1429 hrs
That’s why I have a 3 year supply of dishwashing detergent at my house.
I use Cascade Complete. For my dishwasher, it easily does as well as any phosphate-based detergent I ever used. Though I’ll admit, a lot of phosphate-free efforts weren’t so hot right out of the gate. Takes a bit of time for manufacturers to figure out what works and what doesn’t, I guess.
Anyway, once there’s no more phosphate-laden detergent in your fallout shelter, you’ll buy some of the new stuff at the store and see that it’s all really much ado about nothing.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on July 29, 2010 at 1835 hrs
Thanks for that Ron Popeil
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on July 29, 2010 at 2059 hrs
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