Examining Water Quality of the Fox River for Ecologically Significant Ions and Urban Micropollutants in Anticipation of Waukesha Water Supply Switch
This research project centers around the imminent water supply change affecting the City of Waukesha. In 2023 Waukesha’s drinking water supply will switch to Lake Michigan via the Milwaukee Water Works. The water will be treated by the Waukesha Clean Water plant (CWP) and returned to Lake Michigan via the Root River. Currently, Waukesha’s water supply comes from subsurface aquifers (i.e., groundwater). After use, the water is then treated in Waukesha’s wastewater treatment facility and discharged into the Fox River. There are concerns that following the water supply switch, the Fox River’s ecology and hydrology will be affected due to treated effluent no longer being discharged into the river.