Rain falls and snow melts and flows across the land or infiltrates into the ground. This flow is stormwater runoff containing everything on the land including trash, microplastics, dog waste, salt, bacteria, chemicals from fertilizer and pesticides (yes, lawn care chemicals).
This mix eventually flows directly into our waterways or into sewers in the street which typically discharge directly into our waterways untreated. However, in approximately the eastern half of Shorewood, the stormwater flow in the streets combines with the wastewater that leaves our homes and is treated at the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Jones Island treatment plant.
The dirty stormwater that flows into our rivers eventually finds its way to Lake Michigan - the Milwaukee River flows south and combines with the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers before flowing into Lake Michigan near the Summerfest grounds. Lake Michigan is the source of our drinking water so its important that we work to improve the quality of our storm water run-off.