Common Ground supports Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic’s call for a City of Milwaukee investigation into the MMSD clogged sewer overflow pipe which led to historic and horrific basement backups and flooding, particularly in the Bay View neighborhood.
MMSD initially blamed the floods on severe rains and drainage leaf clogs. Prominent elected officials parroted those explanations. MMSD’s Executive Director, Kevin Shafer, said at the time: “We (MMSD) are not backing [the water] up, we are just redirecting it.”
Yet now, months later, new evidence suggests otherwise: That 1 of the 2 combined sewer overflow pipes discharging into Lake Michigan—operated by Veolia, overseen by MMSD—has been significantly clogged since 2024, contributing to the backups and floods.
“This is a damning validation of what Common Ground and 21 whistleblowers have said: Veolia and MMSD are mismanaging our wastewater facilities,” declared Bob Connolly, Co-Chair of the Common Ground Water Team.
Again and again, whistleblowers say Veolia is not maintaining sewerage operations, causing needless amounts of basement backups and Lake dumps. The buck stops with MMSD. They have failed to proactively oversee Veolia—for years. As a result, people were displaced. Homes were ruined. Personal property was destroyed.”
“It is astonishing that the City’s Department of Public Works had to reveal this problem, not MMSD. Why have Veolia and MMSD sat on this since 2024? Where is the transparency?” questioned Connolly. “If pipes are clogged, you unclog them; that’s what so many of us as volunteer citizens did across Milwaukee. Veolia and MMSD are shirking their responsibilities!”
Given this egregious failure, the audit recently authorized by the MMSD Commission must go beyond just contract compliance (i.e., the bare minimum) to examine all aspects of maintenance, management, and performance—including this clogged pipe revelation.
MMSD and Veolia: Stop the deceptions and politics. It’s time to honestly account for your errors.
