Sprol

If you live in Chicago, you know that the summers get hot. They can be downright punishing, and what better to do on a humid, 100 degree afternoon than get some beach time in? Lake Michigan is right there just inviting you to come and dip your hot toes in her cool water. But wait.

No Swimming.

Unfortunately, these signs are more prevalent than in recent years along Chicago’s Lake Michigan coastline. Why is this happening?

For some Chicago area politicians, “cheese-head sewer water” is to blame.

In May of 2004, after excessively heavy rains in Southern Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District discharged untreated water containing elevated levels of E. coli bacteria. Consequently, many of Chicago’s 31 beaches had to be closed to all swimming activities. On some of the hottest days of the summer, swimmers looking for a little reprieve from the heat are met with red “No Swimming” flags instead.

During these May storms, Milwaukee’s sanitary district released 4.6 billion gallons of raw sewage, exceeding the capacity of the antiquated flood control system. This 405-million-gallon-deep tunnel could not accommodate all of the water that it was taking in, and, unfortunately, it just kept on raining.

During that brief rainy period, from May 7th through May 24th, the Milwaukee area accumulated 8.9 inches of rain. 8.9 inches! That is about 65 billion gallons of water, and the 405 million gallon tank couldn’t deal.

Think of it this way. 4.6 billion gallons would completely fill Miller Park, Milwaukee’s famous baseball stadium, from top to bottom over 15 times over. This massive amount of water and human waste would also be able to fill the state’s tallest building, the U.S. Bank office tower, 41 times.

The result of this massive dump was huge amounts of raw sewage emptying into Lake Michigan. Once in Lake Michigan it was able to flow along until large amounts of E. coli bacteria ended up washing ashore along many of Chicago’s sandy beaches.

Once the levels of the bacteria reached a high enough level, the local authorities had no choice but to close the beaches. Like a shark attack!

The idea of having to close any of Chicago’s popular summer “hot” spots seems to really hit a nerve throughout the city. Anyone who has lived in or around the city for over 10 years can remember when Chicago embarked on their own greater-than-$2.8 billion sewer system “extreme makeover.”

The lengthy project, better known as the “Deep Tunnel Project,” involved more than 100 miles of underground pollution and flood control systems. At that time, everyone in Chicago was required to disconnect their home and business downspouts from the city’s antiquated sewer system. For Milwaukee’s version of this project, they get to decide for themselves whether or not they want to disconnect from the city’s dirty system.

By the end of 2005, Milwaukee, along with 27 other municipalities, is supposed to initiate an 88 million gallon expansion of the currently combined tunnel sewer system. The city is expecting to spend in excess of $900 million with the goal of reducing dirty overflows by the year 2010.

Milwaukee is just 90 sandy miles north of Chicago, right on the coastline of Lake Michigan, and Chicago asserts that they are bombarded with Milwaukee’s contaminated sewer water as a direct result of poor environmental decisions by the Wisconsin authorities and law makers.

Milwaukee, however, says that the infectious pollution is a direct result of an outmoded combined sewer system. This type is designed to carry the excess storm water runoff right along with the stuff coming out of your house.

Milwaukee has, however, begun a nearly $20 million project this year that is intended to replace the aged, out-of-date combined system with all new pipes. That is great news for all involved, both Milwaukee and everyone living in and around Chicago, although no one should expect a quick fix. The job will not be finished overnight as the pipes that currently carry the most disgusting cocktail of human leavings combined with storm water runoff will have to be separated to prevent future unhealthy flows into the streams and rivers that run into Lake Michigan.

In fact, fixing Milwaukee’s dated sewer system to prevent future dumping incidents will likely take years and cost into the billions.

It is worth noting that Chicago has a less than stellar reputation when it comes to the dumping of contaminated sewage material. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago reportedly expelled 10 billion gallons into the Chicago River, also during “monsoon May of 2004.” This district, which serves over four times as many people, does not disinfect the sewage it spews into the river.

So, if every city around the Great Lakes is releasing contaminated sewage into the rivers and Lakes, what is the solution? Finger pointing and blame-throwing will not help cool you off if you are ever standing on a beach, sweating bullets, staring at a “No Swimming” sign.