Community Water Services

12/15/2025

The Civil Rights Movement laid bare how Black, Brown, and women-owned businesses were systematically shut out of public contracts. The equity goals public agencies use today exist to correct that history and ensure economic opportunity isn’t limited by race or gender.

For decades, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District - MMSD has been a model for others, developing policies aimed at increasing SWMBE (Small, Women and Minority-owned Business Enterprise) participation. But today, MMSD chose to go backward.

Citing non-binding “guidance” from the US Department of Justice, the MMSD Commission voted today to eliminate goals for awarding contracts to women- and minority-owned businesses. This decision locally follows a broader political effort to dismiss well-documented discrimination and to dismantle policies designed to address it.

We applaud the leadership of Bryan Kennedy as the sole commissioner speaking out and voting against the change today.

Milwaukee must stand up to this attack on decades of progress and insist on policies that address discrimination and move decisively toward justice. We must actively address past harms and expand opportunities now. We will not back down.

Together, we will take two steps forward toward justice and not one step back.

12/10/2025

"Tech companies have been quick to minimize the water needs of their AI data center projects in Wisconsin, but a new analysis by Clean Wisconsin shows how water used to generate electricity for data centers could dwarf the water use of entire cities."

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CyhH29BsK/?mibextid=wwXIfr

10/26/2025

🎃🐴🍎🍂🌳 Tis the season – for apples, pumpkins, horseback riding and more!

Don’t miss the free Harvest and Resource Fest at Unity Orchard on Sunday for fun for all. Bring your friends and family. See you there!


The MiddleGround MKE

10/16/2025

Do you have a lead service line OR want to learn how to reduce your risk of lead in your drinking water?

Look up your address to see if you have a lead service line at Milwaukee.gov/water or call Milwaukee Water Works Customer Service at (414) 286-2830.

Also check out this post to learn how you can reduce your risk of exposure to lead in your drinking water if your home has a lead service line or lead plumbing and fixtures.

10/14/2025

"In Milwaukee, water service lines installed before 1963 may contain lead. Pipe solder, brass fixtures and/or faucets made before 2014 also may contain lead. Lead can dissolve into the water when water sits in lead pipes for an extended period of time.

Lead can be unsafe to people, especially very young children when it is swallowed or breathed in. There is no safe level of lead in the body.

Children under the age of 6 are especially at risk for lead poisoning because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults. Their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the harmful effects of lead."

09/10/2025

***You still have time to sign up***

🌟 Exciting Opportunity for Milwaukee High School Students this Fall! 🌟

Are you a Milwaukee high school student in grades 9 - 12 looking for a unique experience or know one who is?

Sign up to be one of 24 students in our 12-week program from September 20th - December 13th, 2025. Students receive $300 while gaining valuable experience and mentorship from expert water professionals, as well as workforce development training and academic skills that enhance their college applications and future careers. Two students could also earn a $1,200 scholarship at the end of the program (additional details to come).

Come learn about
✅ Water pollution
✅ Wastewater science
✅ Drinking water
✅ Go on field trips
✅ Build community with other highschoolers in the program

Spots are limited! You don’t want to miss your chance to be part of this opportunity!

SECURE your Spot with this Sign Up Link: https://forms.gle/MLKG9YpDbU7gSrVX6

09/10/2025

🌟 Exciting Opportunity for Milwaukee High School Students this Fall! 🌟

Are you a Milwaukee high school student in grades 9 - 12 looking for a unique experience or know one who is?

Sign up to be one of 24 students in our 12-week program from September 20th - December 13th, 2025. Students receive $300 while gaining valuable experience and mentorship from expert water professionals, as well as workforce development training and academic skills that enhance their college applications and future careers. Two students could also earn a $1,200 scholarship at the end of the program (additional details to come).

Come learn about
✅ Water pollution
✅ Wastewater science
✅ Drinking water
✅ Go on field trips
✅ Build community with other highschoolers in the program

Spots are limited! You don’t want to miss your chance to be part of this opportunity!

SECURE your Spot with this Sign Up Link:

Program Dates: September 20th - December 13th, 2025 Location: 1836 W Fond du Lac Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53205 Contact Rick Latella, Program Education Manager if you have questions at [email protected]

09/09/2025

Our community outreach at the We Are Water (Milwaukee Water Commons) event was both informative and entertaining! Residents of Milwaukee county and other parts of Wisconsin expressed their concerns about the quality of their drinking water with us. Several attendees requested that we expand our Healthy Homes Collaborative Program, which provides water testing for lead and offers water filters with monitoring to in home child care providers with lead levels above 10ppb, to include non childcare providers, also. We value your input and need your help in advocating for financial support from your elected representatives to broaden our reach at CWS.

09/05/2025

08/28/2025

Our summer interns went on an exciting field trip to Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) to learn about green infrastructure, flood management, wastewater treatment, and career opportunities in the water sector. It was a wonderful experience to learn how our local environment, drinking and recreational waters are protected by MMSD, their partners, affiliates, and people who care about these shared resources. We were able to end the trip with a beautiful $1B view of Milwaukee from the rooftop of MMSD.

08/24/2025

Join us this evening at McKinley Beach!

08/22/2025

This week our young water ambassadors, Victoria Crowley-Washington and Cam Roundtree, and Milwaukee high school summer interns in our water program helped clean McKinley Beach following last week’s historic flooding.

It wasn’t a normal beach clean up day though because our interns were hands on using the BeBot, a plastic cleaning robot that removes plastic from the beach. Not only did they learn about the precious freshwater resource in our backyard but by removing trash, they helped keep Lake Michigan safe from waste.

Everyone has a role to play in keeping our waterways safe and we’re happy our interns and young water ambassadors are making a difference by preventing harm to our waters and public health. Special thanks to Cheryl Nenn, Katie Rademacher, Chris Giddens, and Milwaukee Riverkeeper for making the BeBot available to our youth.