The Way I See It!

Real MMSD Fixes

Posted by Randy Hollenbeck on Aug. 19, 2010

Milwaukee County, MMSD

We all know that MMSD (Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District) must separate the storm rain runoff systems and septic sewers, but something else can be fixed and improved.

As part of a long-term improvement, MMSD must increase the amount of waste treated at the plants in the first place.

YES, increase the capacity at treatment plants!!!!

Currently the capacity at Jones Island and South Shore are 300 million gallons / day each.

1880’s The first centrifugal pump built by E. P. Allis & Co. was rated at a capacity of 70 million gallons per day.  It was built for pumping sewage at Jones Island, Milwaukee.

At that time the sewerage system was under the control of the Board of Public Works of the City of Milwaukee.  The first regular system of construction was begun in 1869.  It was in the form of a combined system, which disposes of both sewage and surface drainage storm water, and the sewers were large enough to carry off the rush of such drain off at the time.  In addition, another 247 miles of sewers had been constructed by 1897, not including the additional four miles of the so-called Menomonee special sewer.

Jones Island plant’s average daily flow of 113 million gallons and peak capacity of 330 million gallons.

The tunnels temporarily store sewage and storm water after heavy rains until the Jones Island and South Shore treatment plants have space to treat the flow.

In a deluge, combined sanitary and storm sewers in central Milwaukee and eastern Shorewood fill quickly.  Leaks of storm water into separate sanitary sewers in other communities boost flows in those pipes up to several times normal daily volumes.

Why is waste left in the deep tunnels if they can process more daily?

We built the deep tunnel (1994 operational) instead of separating the sewers and now we have increased the size of the deep tunnel (2 miles operational 2010) to give a buffer, but a two part real solution needs to happen.  MMSD needs to process more waste faster and we need to separate the sewers!

I know MMSD is like a quasi government entity will not want to sink their own money into this.  How could they easily pass the costs on to the public?  Same as they do now.  Raise taxes!

If MMSD increases the amount of treatment:

1. There will be less already in the deep tunnel and maybe it could even be empty
2. They will be able to keep up better with the increase amount of flow during storm times.
3. Even fewer dumps of blended or raw sewage.

Please think about this! 

IF MMSD were a private firm would they get away with:

1. Dumping with a big fine that they simply cannot raise taxes to pay for it.
2. Not separate the sewers since the City of Shorewood and Milwaukee would be pushing it.
3. Class action suit

One of my friends (who is a liberal that had water damage in Milwaukee) said to me, “Why not raid the 800 million for a high-speed Madison to Milwaukee train to fix and separate the sewers.”

Maybe it is time for a class action suit to get MMSD moving in the right direction!