Update: We hit the four-inch mark as of 7 a.m. Thursday, the Wastewater Treatment Facility reports …
A few updates on local flooding concerns …
- The South Milwaukee Wastewater Treatment Facility reports the city had 3.23 inches of rain from Monday morning through about 1:30 on Tuesday. And there’s more coming overnight and Wednesday.
- While Oak Creek was receding today — not sure what the added rain will do overnight, however — areas of concern continue to be Oak Creek Parkway near the high school railroad trestle and the Mill Pond.
- The high school baseball field is flooded.
- The city had also received a couple calls about water in basements … and a report of a basement wall collapse.
I also asked wastewater for an update on its operations, and thanks to Superintendent Andy Bakalarski for providing this …
The South Milwaukee Wastewater Treatment Facility has pumps deployed at the known trouble spots in the city, but at this time, there has not been a need to divert any of the wastewater in the system. At the treatment facility, the upgrade project has caused us to route the flows around the construction areas, but we are treating the wastewater to the best of our ability, while protecting the facility and the areas under construction.
South Milwaukee Blog 
I admit that I am confused. As South Milwaukee has chosen to NOT treat stormwater runoff, then why is today any different than any other day here, unless laterals (connections to and from homes) are leaking such that groundwater infiltration overwhelmes the treatment system? The superintendent makes it sound like there is some sort of challenge in his “to the best of our ability” description of current treatment efforts. It suggests that it is not 100% effective. I don’t know what the areas are that he describes as “under construction”, and why is the facility not completely protected, as is suggested in his comments? Thanks.
The construction project referenced is this one … the major upgrades that are under way at the plant.
And infiltration is definitely an issue, construction or not.
Good Point. I’m guessing it’s because of homes that may have their rain gutters hooked up to their drains and because of laterals and mains that leach the groundwater into them. I did notice that the parkway road by the high school was opened up again today but the wooden pedestrian walkway bridge by 17th ave. was barricaded and caution taped off today, hopefully it’s not starting to wash away (I didn’t get out of the car to take a closer look at it but it did appear that it may be slanted a bit).
I just learned today that If your home was built after 1954, you have a sump pump to move water up and out. If your home is older than that, you most likely have a foundation drain connected directly to your lateral. Which would be another likely cause for the city having trouble with backups; there are so many houses around that were built prior to 1954 and are draining into the sewer system.