For the first time in decades, residents of the city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, aren’t worried about water supply or quality, thanks to a historic agreement that allows the far western suburb of Milwaukee access to water from Lake Michigan, about 17 miles to the east.
The controversial agreement was significant because it marked the first time a community outside the Great Lakes basin was allowed to tap into Lake Michigan water under the terms of the so-called Great Lakes Compact. Approved in December 2008, the agreement regulates and protects against diversions of Great Lakes water from the 94,000-square-mile basin, says Dan
