Our climate is changing. That seems to be
the unifying message from the recently completed 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). It really doesn’t matter whether this change is due to our activities or natural cycles. People around the globe are suffering from drought, floods, wildfires, and extreme heat, and these events are occurring more regularly and last longer.
As the global discussion continues, I believe
that there are actions that can be taken locally to help us do our part to address this issue. These actions can also help us reduce our risk of flooding, improve our health, and reduce our long-term costs.
As with many issues, you plan globally but act locally by both adapting to climate change and being resilient to climate change. At the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), we are
working on both fronts.
Climate adaptation is mostly an emissions issue. If we can reduce emissions, we can improve the air we breathe, reduce the heat-trapping gases in our environment, and strive to limit our global increase in temperature to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius, as recommended by the International Panel on Climate Change. MMSD’s projects like:
3. Improving the efficiency of our existing biosolid digesters to produce more methane gas, then using it at the water reclamation facilities; and
4. Replacing old inefficient equipment with more efficient, newer equipment;
are all making MMSD more adaptable. In 2022, at the Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility, we have generated approximately 21% of our power needs with landfill methane gas. At the South Shore Water Reclamation Facility, we have generated approximately 69% of our power needs with digester methane gas. These annual percentages will increase as we continually lower our uses of energy through higher efficiencies.
On the climate resilient front, MMSD projects are naturalizing rivers by removing concrete liners and increasing green space by installing natural, green infrastructure. Schools, roadways, parking lots, and rooftops are all beneficiaries of these green retrofits. To date, we have improved 37 school playgrounds, removed 4.4 miles of concrete liners, and installed over 90.7 million gallons of green infrastructure. This work will reduce the risk of flooding and improve our health, making us more resilient to the coming changes.
MMSD is working to return Underwood Creek to a more naturalized state to reduce flood risks, improve public safety, and restore habitats.
The climate change discussion continues. The good news is that work is underway to be ready for this change.
