http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=651923

MMSD must do more to keep Lake Michigan clear of sewage

By Lynn E. Broaddus
 

Posted: Aug. 25, 2007

Some see the world in terms of black and white, winners and losers. Radio pundits tell us that the deep tunnel is a failure. Playing the yin to the pundits' yang, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District spinmasters tell us that deep tunnel system has kept billions of gallons of sewage out of Lake Michigan on rainy days. The deep tunnel is a complete success, their leaders would have us believe.

But the truth is rarely so clear-cut.

When the deep tunnel was in the planning stages, the people of our region were promised that the tunnel would reduce combined sewer overflows to 1.4 per year and would "virtually eliminate" sanitary sewer overflows. The latter point, the elimination of sanitary sewer overflows, was especially important because such overflows are banned by the federal Clean Water Act and by the sewerage district's operating permit. Because they are designed to carry only sanitary sewage, overflows from the sanitary sewer pipes are of special concern.

Years after the deep tunnel became operational in late 1993, we have a track record showing that combined sewer overflows have been reduced, though not to the extent predicted. Put one check in the "reasonable success" column.

However, illegal sanitary sewer overflows continue to occur roughly five times per year. Those of us who care about clean water, and who expect that public agencies should be just as responsible as private businesses, are incensed that the sewerage district has yet to be held accountable for these ongoing violations of the Clean Water Act.

Other cities faced with similar problems have successfully tackled the challenges of sanitary sewer overflows, but their successes have required a focused effort on reducing infiltration and inflow. In layman's terms, this means ferreting out and fixing cracked pipes and illegal connections that unnecessarily flood sanitary sewers with rainwater and groundwater.

Most people are surprised to learn that in many of our communities, the flow through sanitary sewer systems on rainy days can be 10 to 20 times what it is on dry days. Our sewerage system has plenty of capacity to treat our sewage but not enough to treat the flood of clear water that mixes with sewage when it rains.

In planning for the deep tunnel, engineers assumed that inflow and infiltration would be reduced by 12.5%. Instead, the state's 2002 audit indicated that infiltration and inflow had increased by 17.4%.

In 2004, sewerage district attorney Michael McCabe told Mayor Tom Barrett's Independent MMSD Audit Committee that the district has long had the authority to enforce expected reductions in infiltration and inflow from the contributing communities. Despite having the necessary authority and despite knowing that infiltration and inflow have been a major factor contributing to sewer overflows, the district has taken a passive approach to addressing this critical problem.

District officials have repeatedly told us that we cannot build our way out of sewer overflows. That is probably true. However, we can and we must aggressively address our crumbling sewer infrastructure.

Some of our region's municipalities already have taken steps to reduce their infiltration and inflow to acceptable levels. They should be publicly applauded. But the district must take the lead in doling out the tough love that is needed to identify and eliminate our infiltration and inflow problems. A first step might be to issue an annual report card on the state of infiltration and inflow and to publicize goals and progress toward those goals.

In August 2004, audit committee chairman Don Theiler wisely recommended that the district "get off the defensive and take all steps available to eliminate" sanitary sewer overflows.

It's been done in Miami, Boston and other metropolitan areas throughout the country.

Now it's Milwaukee's turn.

Lynn E. Broaddus is executive director of Friends of Milwaukee's Rivers. The group is co-plaintiff in two federal Clean Water Act lawsuits against the sewerage district for its ongoing sanitary sewer overflows.