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MMSD: Estimated combined sewage overflow tops 5 billion gallons
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) reported to the Wisconsin DNR on Friday, Aug. 15, that the estimated combined sewage overflow from our most recent storms in southeast Wisconsin on Aug. 9-10 topped 5 billion gallons.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) reported to the Wisconsin DNR on Friday, Aug. 15, that the estimated combined sewage overflow from our most recent storms in southeast Wisconsin on Aug. 9-10 topped 5 billion gallons. It has been 31 years since MMSD reported an overflow that big.
Combined sewage overflow
What we know:
That combined sewer overflow is from a pipe that combines storm water and whatever's flushed from homes and businesses. The overflow went for an estimated 78 hours – from 9:55 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 9 through 3:55 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
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Without the space to treat excess storm runoff, it's sent to the closest exit points, into rivers and lakes. For this most recent storm, it was in the Milwaukee River, Menomonee River, and Lake Michigan between McKinley and South Shore Beaches.
Local perspective:
A news release says since 1995, MMSD has designed and constructed $585 million in flood management projects, including: Lincoln Creek, County Grounds, Hart Park, Valley Park and Pulaski Park to name a few. All those projects provided levels of protection during the devastating storms that just occurred. Without those projects, damage in the region would have been much worse.
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Historic flooding in Milwaukee forces combined sewer overflow
Saturday's storms flooded basements, cars, and streets. It also forced the MMSD to send a combination of storm water and sewage into Lake Michigan and nearby rivers.
MMSD has an additional $712 million in future flood management projects to get done with significant work needed in the Kinnickinnic River Watershed where there are 660 structures at high risk for flooding.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD).