Milwaukee, Waukesha leaders work together for Great Water Alliance Project

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- City leaders from Milwaukee and Waukesha are collaborating to help bring sustainable clean drinking water to the city of Waukesha.

As part of the agreement between the two cities, the pipelines will bring clean water back to 70,000 people in Waukesha.

A groundbreaking was held at 76th and Oklahoma in Milwaukee on Monday, November 30 where the new pumping station will be built.

“It’s a great morning for all the residents and businesses in Waukesha,” Mayor Shawn Reilly said.

Officials say the Great Water Alliance Project will ensure sustainable drinking water to Waukesha for generations to come.

“As we said when we signed the agreement, this is a win for both communities, but it is also a model for the kind of collaboration our regions need,” Reilly said. “My hope is that our cities willingness to work together on this issue leads to more cooperation and teamwork on many issues.”

The project will bring drinking water to the Waukesha water utility from the Milwaukee Water Works, then return treated water to the Root River.

“We have a lot in common. What separates us, of course, is the great divide where part of the water goes to Lake Michigan and the part of the water goes to the Mississippi River,” Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett said. “But when you have leaders that will come forward to try and work together we can build a bridge between those two communities.”

Reilly said Waukesha will have a reliable water supply by September 2023 thanks to the agreement.