Wisconsin city fighting to withdraw water from Lake Michigan

Great Lakes from space (Credit: SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE.)

City officials from of Waukesha, Wis., would like to gain access to water in Lake Michigan as their sources of water continue to lessen and become costly to process, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Waukesha drinking water plants withdraw water from an aquifer that will soon have only briny water laced with radium.

City officials proposed withdrawing 10.1 million gallons of water daily from Lake Michigan and then returning the majority of the water back to the lake in the form of treated wastewater.

They are working with eight Great Lakes states to gain unanimous approval for withdrawals. The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative challenged the request, fearing the withdrawals will further lower Michigan water levels.

Image: Satellite image of the Great Lakes from space (Credit: SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE.)