{"id":55,"date":"2013-09-24T18:06:18","date_gmt":"2013-09-24T23:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/thecapstone\/?p=55"},"modified":"2013-11-05T14:10:37","modified_gmt":"2013-11-05T20:10:37","slug":"council-dives-in-to-water-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/thecapstone\/2013\/09\/24\/council-dives-in-to-water-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Whitewater Common Council dips toes into city’s water issues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"water2\"<\/a>By JAMES KATES,<\/strong>\u00a0Capstone Managing Editor<\/p>\n

Water \u2013 purifying it, conserving it and preventing it from going where it shouldn\u2019t \u2013 dominated the agenda for the Whitewater Common Council on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The council agreed to request a quote from engineering firm Strand Associates to do a stormwater mitigation study. The action follows a string of complaints from Whitewater residents about flooded streets and basements after heavy rains.<\/p>\n

Some residents \u201care having significant flooding in their basements on a regular basis,\u201d said Councilmember Lynn Binnie, who added that Woodland Drive in his west-side district is a major problem area.<\/p>\n

Streets Superintendent Chuck Nass agreed that Woodland Drive is \u201cone of the worst areas in the city\u201d and also cited flooding around the Home Lumber Co. on the city\u2019s south side.<\/p>\n

Law may be inadequate<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nass said the city\u2019s ordinance governing stormwater abatement for new construction may need to be tightened.<\/p>\n

Builders are obeying the existing law, but larger pipes and culverts are needed to clear away water, he said.<\/p>\n

In a related action, the council also reminded citizens that smoke testing of city sewers would begin next Monday.<\/p>\n

Workers will pump non-toxic, odor-free synthetic smoke into the sewers. The testing will occur on the west side of the city in an area bounded by Peninsula Lane on the north and Walworth Avenue on the south.<\/p>\n

The test will indicate where water is entering the system where it shouldn\u2019t \u2013 for example, from sump-pump drains or gutter downspouts. Too much water from improper sources can overload the sewers and \u2013 in the worst case \u2013 force an illegal discharge of untreated sewage into creeks during heavy rains.<\/p>\n

Smoke should appear during the test only from vent stacks. Anyone noticing smoke from other sources is asked to call the city.<\/p>\n

Before the tests, \u201cFolks are urged to pour water down drains they don\u2019t ordinarily use,\u201d such as basement floor drains, to fill the trap and prevent smoke from entering, City Manager Cameron Clapper said.<\/p>\n

Software can monitor usage<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a high-tech twist on the water issue, the council approved a $500 contract with H2Oscore<\/a> for software to monitor water usage.<\/p>\n

The software will allow any city water customer to view an Internet \u201cdashboard\u201d tracking their water use, said McGee Young, a Marquette University political science professor who developed the program. Use is voluntary.<\/p>\n

Young and faculty from several other schools, including UW-Whitewater, have been refining the software for more than a year. It is already in place in Milwaukee, Waukesha and Grafton.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis shows how we can build stronger communities by promoting sustainability,\u201d Young said.<\/p>\n

In other action Tuesday, the council:<\/p>\n