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May 15, 2009
Contact:
Melissa Malott, Water Program Director
608.251.7020 ext. 13, 608.220.0167 (cell)
Clean Wisconsin and Waukesha Reach Agreement on Water Rates
New Rate Structure Will Encourage Water Conservation by Incentivizing Reduced Water Use
Waukesha, WI – Clean Wisconsin and the City of
Waukesha Water Utility reached a formal agreement today that will readjust
the municipality's water rate structure to reward residents who conserve
water. The new structure will encourage water conservation by increasing
the per-gallon cost of water as residents use more, allowing them to realize
substantial savings simply by curbing wasteful water use both inside and
outside of their homes.
"Waukesha's water problems and radium contamination largely result from
an overuse of water," said Melissa Malott, water program director at Clean
Wisconsin, the state's largest environmental advocacy organization. "This
new rate structure ensures that Waukesha residents who use small volumes
of water do not shoulder the burden created by those who use large volumes
of water."
The Waukesha area has suffered one of the nation's greatest groundwater
aquifer drawdowns due to an unsustainable use of water. This excessive
drawdown of the groundwater aquifers beneath Waukesha has led to groundwater
quality problems, specifically an increased occurrence of radium, a naturally
occurring radioactive element that is carcinogenic and regulated by both
the U.S. EPA and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Waukesha
must currently expend significant resources on radium treatment to protect
the health of its residents.
"The high cost of radium compliance should be borne by those who use excessive
amounts of water," said Malott. "This new rate structure rewards the majority
of Waukesha residents who use water responsibly while encouraging large
volume water users to conserve more of this vital resource."
The importance of Waukesha's rate structure may well have an impact far
beyond the city limits. Waukesha will likely become one of the first cities
in the region to apply for a diversion of water from Lake Michigan under
the Great Lakes Compact, and the strong water conservation efforts agreed
upon today will set a precedent that helps preserve the strength of the
Great Lakes Compact.
"Today's agreement helps ensure that cities across the Great Lakes Region
that apply to divert water from the Great Lakes Basin must first adopt
strong water conservation measures," said Malott. "It is a victory for
the people of Waukesha as well as for the millions of people who live,
work and play in the Great Lakes Region."
Under the agreement, Waukesha and Clean Wisconsin will collaborate with
Public Service Commission staff over the next three years to evaluate the
effectiveness of the new rate design and other conservation programs, such
as a toilet rebate program. The agreement requires a formal rate review
proceeding by the end of 2011 to evaluate the rate design and make any
necessary modifications.
"In 2007, Waukesha became the first city in the state to establish a water
conservation rate design," said Malott. "Today's agreement will keep Waukesha
on the leading-edge of water conservation efforts and set an important
example for other water utilities in the state and throughout the Great
Lakes Basin."
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Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, protects Wisconsin's clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being an effective voice in the state legislature and by holding elected officials and polluters accountable. Founded in 1970 as Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, Clean Wisconsin exposes corporate polluters, makes sure existing environmental laws are enforced, and educates citizens and businesses. On behalf of its 10,000 members and its coalition partners, Clean Wisconsin protects the special places that make Wisconsin such a wonderful place to live, work and play. Phone: 608-251-7020, Fax: 608-251-1655, Email: information@cleanwisconsin.org, Website: www.cleanwisconsin.org.