A Success Story: The Great Water Alliance Program Delivers Clean Water and Sustainability

The Great Water Alliance was born out of a critical need. For decades, Waukesha relied on a local aquifer, but as water levels fell, the concentration of radium and total suspended solids rose, and the city faced a looming water crisis. Lake Michigan, a nearby freshwater giant, presented a potential solution – but under the Great Lakes Compact, water from the lake can only be diverted to communities within the Great Lakes basin. With the historic approval of its application, Waukesha, just outside the basin, became the first and only community to receive a water diversion approval of this type from Lake Michigan. 

While the solution appears simple: transport water from Lake Michigan to Waukesha and return the same volume, ensuring a net zero impact on the Great Lakes. The project was an enormous infrastructure challenge. Our team engineered an innovative 13-mile pipeline system to supply fresh water to Waukesha, while a 23-mile return flow pipeline ensures that highly treated water returns to the Root River, which ultimately feeds back into Lake Michigan. Beyond the pipeline, 94% of which was located outside of Waukesha, the project required two water pumping stations, a return flow pumping station, a new outfall facility with aeration capabilities, two eight-million-gallon ground storage reservoirs, a one-million-gallon water tower, and chemical feed facilities capable of injecting two chemicals in six different potential locations. 

The Great Water Alliance is a regional success story traversing seven communities, two counties, and multiple state and federal agencies. Extensive collaboration was required, with synchronized design and permitting to mitigate delays and keep the design, construction, and water transition of this multi-year initiative on schedule. The result? A robust system of water supply and return flow infrastructure that balances the needs of both the community and the environment.

In addition to sustainably supplying potable drinking water to Waukesha residents, this project generated secondary community benefits throughout its duration and beyond. The program increased construction employment through local participation requirements and bolstered the local economy by providing opportunities for businesses reliant on water resources. The project has yielded environmental benefits as well, including improved water levels in regional wetlands, waterways, and aquifers, supporting communities across southeast Wisconsin. 

The Great Water Alliance set a new standard for community engagement and agency collaboration. Over 90 permits were obtained, requiring negotiation and seamless coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, and other key regulatory bodies. TYLin worked closely with local stakeholders to communicate progress and manage construction impacts through open houses, real-time data sharing, and interactive mapping.

One of the program’s most significant achievements is its ability to maintain a net zero impact on Lake Michigan. By returning treated water to the Root River, the project protects this vital freshwater resource, setting a benchmark for sustainable water management. This approach not only meets Waukesha’s needs but ensures that the health of the Great Lakes remains uncompromised.

The Great Water Alliance also adopted environmentally friendly materials and advanced technologies, such as trenchless construction and precast reservoirs. These innovations allowed the team to minimize the environmental footprint while keeping costs down and delivering a project designed to last 100 years. In total, these efforts saved the community an estimated $40 million in costs.

Since the completion of the transition to Lake Michigan water in 2023, the Great Water Alliance Program has been celebrated as an example of sustainable engineering. The residents of Waukesha are now enjoying safe, clean drinking water, and the project has become an industry model for how communities can balance public health needs with environmental stewardship.

As the first project of its kind under the Great Lakes Compact, the Great Water Alliance showcases what can be achieved through collaboration, innovation, and thoughtful planning. It illustrates how forward-looking infrastructure is used to address today’s challenges while laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future.