Milwaukee suburb delaying start of Lake Michigan water withdrawals to early October
By TODD RICHMOND
Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Milwaukee suburb has pushed back plans to begin withdrawing millions of gallons of water per day from Lake Michigan to early October. The city of Waukesha had planned to start using lake water as its public water supply in mid-September. But the city announced Thursday that withdrawals will start Oct. 9. City officials say they decided to empty and refill their new reservoirs to minimize taste or odor problems during the transition. They also are adressing programming issues with new pumps. Waukesha asked regulators in 2010 for permission to withdraw Lake Michigan water because its wells are contaminated with radium. It’s under a court order to find a solution.