Tag Archives: South Milwaukee Water Utility

January 13, 2014 · 9:15 pm

On Water Main Breaks

WISN was in South Milwaukee last week to talk weather and water mains (and water main breaks).

Check out the story here. From it:

The weather is also bursting water mains.

“The ground shifts, and it actually makes the thing (a break), just like a broken bone,” South Milwaukee Water Superintendent Doug Fischer said.

There were two water main breaks in South Milwaukee on Wednesday and just as with the potholes, the warmup will likely make things worse.

Work crews said the real problems begin when temperatures fluctuate a great deal, which is what is happening. The week began with temperatures in the deep freeze. By the weekend though, they may soar well up above the freezing mark, and next week, those overnight lows, well, they could be back in the freezer again.

“Yeah, that’s the worst thing. We like steady temperatures. If we could just get a steady 25 through the rest of the winter, we’d be good,” Fischer said. 

If you suspect a water main break, please call the South Milwaukee Water Utility at 768-8070.

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October 16, 2013 · 9:43 pm

Council Update: Water Rate Increase, 15th Avenue Traffic Light Study, Chickens In South Milwaukee?

Tuesday night’s South Milwaukee City Council meeting started off with some fun — and some big money for the Susan B. Komen for the Cure — but also included some newsworthy business items. On the agenda …

  • The council voted 8-0 to approve a 3% increase in water rates effective Jan. 1. The increase is a “simplified” one as defined by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and does not require PSC approval. It “is necessary to reduce the existing deficiency in present rates and allow the Utility to build some cash reserves so as not to get in a financial bind while trying to replace some aging infrastructure,” according to a letter from Water Superintendent Douglas Fischer. The average residential user’s bill will increase $7.56 annually, with the largest residential user’s bill going up $10.80 annually, due to the increase. I am OK with the modest increase. Our rates remain competitive, and our water utility infrastructure is truly state of the art — a real point of difference for South Milwaukee. I support investing in this advantage.
  • The council also agreed to award a small contract for the study of a potential traffic signal at 15th Avenue and Oak Creek Parkway near South Milwaukee High School. This “warrant study” will help determine if traffic counts support installation of a light, or perhaps other changes to this intersection, which gets quite chaotic (and unsafe) before and after school. In recent months, I and other city officials (including our city engineer and police chief) have been a part meetings with school leaders to discuss traffic safety concerns around the high and middle school campuses, and we’ve identified this as one potential improvement for that area. I’m interested to see what the study finds.
  • The Legislation & Permits Committee also discussed allowing residents to keep chickens in South Milwaukee. Some balked at the idea. My thoughts? This is just the start of the debate, but I’m glad we’re having it. As it stands now, I’m inclined to support this, with clear restrictions around number, proper containment, and other measures included in ordinances in place with other communities (including Milwaukee). Of course, I’d like to know what you think about this as the discussion continues. I would hate to run afowl of my constituents. Post your comments below!

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