Milwaukee skies have been restless the past few days and all that rain should remind us that we can help make up for the inadequacies of our storm sewers. And the additional benefit -- besides helping to prevent our stank from getting dumped into the lake -- is that we save water, which we've always been told is our most precious resource.

Outside, your lawn and garden can benefit from disconnecting your downspouts from the storm sewer system and letting it run into your yard. Of course, direct the flow away from your house. Or plant a rain garden which also helps to prevent run off. A rain barrel can collect water from your downspouts and you can use it to water the shrubs, the herb garden or the potted plants on the patio. But empty it in winter and make sure it's covered to prevent unwanted forays into mosquito husbandry.

Inside the house, always turn off the water while your shaving or brushing your teeth. And while you don't always have to take military showers, go easy on the Hollywood ones. Use the water saving feature on your dishwasher and remember to set your washing machine to the proper water level.

If you've got some leftover water -- that's clean, of course -- use it to water the plants instead of sending it down the drain.

When we're being inundated with rain, as in the past few days, try to hold off on running the dishwasher or the washing machine, or run it as little as possible to stop that much more water from entering the system.

We think what we do can't make a difference, but if we all -- or even just some of us -- pay attention to water usage, we can have a big effect.

Check out the links below for more ideas and information on stemming the tide on sewer overflows and on preventing polluted water from entering the lake.

3 comments about this article. Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 3, 2006 at 2:53 p.m. (report)

Bobby Tanzilo said: Some local businesses have also experimented with porous parking lot surfaces that allow water to seep into the ground below rather than flowing away. Let's hope this catches on, too.

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 3, 2006 at 2:08 p.m. (report)

Dan Robbins said: Let's make sure we understand the two separate issues here. The major issue regarding overflow of untreated sewage into local rivers and into Lake Michigan is that the sanitary sewers (the system that is supposed to convey "nasty" wastewater to our wastewater treatment plants - Jones Island and South Shore) and the storm sewers (the system that is supposed to convey rainwater to the local surface waters - the rivers and the lake) are not completely separate. The minor issue (relatively speaking) is that the water entering the storm sewers picks up some small amount of pollution in the form of suspended solids, a few dissolved salts, and minor levels of oils and greases. Rain gardens do have an impact on the lesser problem. They filter out suspended solids and oils, and they increase some restoration of ground water levels. To the extent that they reduce the rate with which water enters the storm sewer system, their use will have a small impact on sewage averflow. The fact remains, nevertheless, that we have a serious problem of "infiltration" - non-waste water entering the sanity sewers. Efforts to reduce infiltration will have a hugely greater impact on sewage overflows than will installation of a few rain gardens and rain barrels.

Posted by OMCreader on Oct. 3, 2006 at 12:17 p.m. (report)

Cozen Beguile said: All great ideals! Every little bit helps. If we truely want to stop the overflows, we will have to require large surface parking lots to install retention ponds. Glendale seams to be one of the few cities that does this. PEACE!

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