Next customer and community meeting set for May 22
MADISON, WIS. – From efforts to address emerging contaminants to mitigating the effects of extreme weather, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District customers and community members will gather to share interests and identify objectives on Wednesday, May 22 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the District’s Maintenance and Training Facility, 1610 Moorland Road.
To help prioritize efforts and develop community-oriented solutions, staff members will facilitate discussions among elected officials, public works leaders and interested residents from the District’s 26 customer communities as well as regional stakeholders.
“We know there are real community concerns regarding the sources of contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the need to keep stormwater out of the regional sanitary sewer system and the importance of protecting our waters from too much salt,” said Michael Mucha, the District’s chief engineer and director. “At this meeting, participants will organize into breakout groups to begin developing shared objectives on key topics that will help us measure progress going forward.”
Based on feedback from the first customer and community meeting in March, breakout groups at the May 22 meeting will focus on reducing infiltration and inflow; industrial pretreatment to reduce pollution before it enters the sanitary system; and communication and outreach efforts on community infrastructure and pollution prevention. While the District has launched a variety of its own initiatives including a PFAS action plan and a successful chloride reduction grant program, interests and objectives shared by customers and community members will advance this work and inform future efforts.
Following the development of shared interests and objectives at the second meeting, a third meeting will be held in September to consider programs already underway and what more should be done. A fourth and final meeting will wrap it all together with possible ways to move forward.
All are invited regardless of attendance at the first meeting. Area business leaders and community development professionals are particularly encouraged to join in the breakout group on pretreatment and community coordination. The meeting is free and open to the public.
