Regional Water Quality Management Plan Update
The Current Effort
From the last quarter of 2003 through December 2007, the Commission prepared an update of the regional water quality management plan for the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds. Map 2 illustrates the civil divisions within the study area, and the accompanying table outlines the areal extent of these communities, by respective county.
The effort was coordinated with a parallel sewerage facilities planning program being carried out by the MMSD and has been designed to utilize the watershed approach consistent with evolving U.S. Environmental Protection Agency policies. Such an approach represents good public planning and administration, as well as being consistent with the requirements of Section 208 of the Federal Clean Water Act.
The approach to carrying out the regional water quality management plan update and the MMSD facilities planning program in a coordinated manner was developed cooperatively by the WDNR, MMSD, and SEWRPC, and has been conceptually formalized under a Memorandum of Understanding.
The regional water quality management plan update has resulted in the reevaluation and, as necessary, revision of the three major elements comprising the original plan—the land use element, the point source pollution abatement element, and the nonpoint source pollution abatement element. In addition, a groundwater element was added based largely upon companion work programs.