Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Encyclopedia
With headquarters and a central laboratory along the Menomonee River
Menomonee River
The Menomonee River is one of three primary rivers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.-Description:Named after the Menomonee Indians, the word literally means "good seed", referring to the abundant wild rice that once grew along its shores in the Menomonee Valley...
near downtown Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, it has two wastewater treatment plants which are located at Jones Island (43°01′23.5"N 87°53′58"W) in Milwaukee and at the South Shore (42°53′16"N 87°50′44"W) in Oak Creek
Oak Creek, Wisconsin
Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 28,456 at the 2000 census. In 2009, its population was estimated at 33,946.-History:...
. These facilities were operated by United Water
United Water
United Water Resources, founded as Hackensack Water Company in 1869, has grown into one of the United States's largest water services companies. It is headquartered in Harrington Park, New Jersey. The company owns and operates water and wastewater utilities and also has contracts to operate...
under a 10-year agreement ending March 1, 2008. Veolia Water is the current operator.
The primary wastewater treatment plant at Jones Island was one of the first of its kind when the original activated sludge
Activated sludge
Activated sludge is a process for treating sewage and industrial wastewaters using air and a biological floc composed of bacteria and protozoans.-Purpose:...
plant was constructed in 1925. MMSD was the first to market biosolids created through this process as a fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
under the name "Milorganite
Milorganite
Milorganite is the trademark of a biosolids fertilizer produced by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. The name Milorganite is a contraction of the phrase Milwaukee Organic Nitrogen, and was the result of a 1925 naming contest held in National Fertilizer Magazine...
." The 1925 plant has been designated as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
.
During the past few years, sewage has been dumped into Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
either by accident or as a result of sewer overflow. By late March, 2006 the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District had accidentally dumped 800,000 gallons of sewage into Lake Michigan. The accidents occurred as workers at the Jones Island facility were testing a new computer operating system. Testing was done under the United Water contract.