Thirsty city’s water plea approved

A Wisconsin city has been given the green light to draw water from the Great Lakes after eight states approved a precedent-setting request that had raised concerns in Canada and the U.S.

The go-ahead means the city of Waukesha has become the first exception to an agreement banning diversions of water away from the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin.

The city of about 70,000 people asked to divert water from Lake Michigan because its own aquifer is running low and the water is contaminated with high levels of naturally occurring, cancer-causing radium.

Critics in Canada and the U.S. warned that the request would set a dangerous example for other communities facing water shortages.

But after making a series of amendments, the representatives of eight states adjoining the Great Lakes — who had final say on the matter after input from Ontario and Quebec— gave Waukesha’s $207-million proposal unanimous approval at a meeting Tuesday.

“There are a lot of emotions and politics surrounding this issue, but voting yes in co-operation with our Great Lakes neighbours is the best way to conserve one of our greatest natural resources,” said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.

Under a current regional agreement between the states and Ontario and Quebec, diversions of water away from the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River basin are banned, with limited exceptions that can be made only when certain conditions are met.

Waukesha argued that although it’s located outside the boundary of the Great Lakes basin, it is part of a county straddling that geographical line and should be allowed access to the lake’s water. It also promised to return treated water to Lake Michigan.

Ontario, which conducted a review of the plan, expressed concerns about Waukesha’s request and had found that the potential impacts of the diversion on Great Lakes water quantity had not been sufficiently assessed.

“We remain apprehensive about the diversion by Waukesha and will continue to voice the concerns of Ontarians,” Jason Travers, director of the Natural Resources Conservation Policy Branch at Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources, said Tuesday.