Pressed by dwindling supplies, the City of Waukesha, WI is becoming a regional leader in water conservation. Kollin Kosmicki reports in yesterday's Great Milwaukee Today that the city is poised to reduce its annual water use by 10 percent. The city also likely will experience lower energy costs and reduced spending on purification materials as it process less water.
If nothing else, the city is proving that improved management of existing water demand is possible, and a legitimate alternative to relying solely on finding new sources of water, building more pumps and purification stations, and withdrawing ever more water.
The Waukesha findings come as Lake County, IL launches a $48,000 study to determine how the community will meet growing water demand. One wonders if conservation will be considered as a practical recommendation.
"It's no secret that as villages and population continue to grow in the region, we're certainly going to need more and more water," said Wes Walsh, the director of public works in the Village of Lindenhurst.
