Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Press Release

Highly Visible Change Coming to Jones Island for Two Years

 

By - Sep 17th, 2026 11:22 am

Under normal operation, MMSD discharges exhaust from the Milorganite Building at Jones Island through a 350-foot-tall exhaust stack.

Starting 9-21-26, due to a two-year construction project inside the building, MMSD will be discharging some exhaust directly through the roof of the Milorganite Building.

The District is drawing attention to this change because it will be highly visible at times for drivers going over the Hoan Bridge.

Certain weather conditions may cause water vapor from the exhaust to drift across the Hoan Bridge, potentially leading to visibility or freezing issues. MMSD will monitor for these conditions, post warning signs and take other actions as necessary.

If any visibility, icing or safety problems arise, the District can reduce operations or shut the exhaust off that is coming from the Milorganite building rooftop.

If there is additional information you need, please reach out to Bill Graffin at 414-225-2077.

All exhaust air will continue to go through pollution control equipment before being released into the atmosphere.

MMSD must still comply with the rules and regulations of its air discharge permit with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

These pictures show what venting looks like from the stack and the top of the Milorganite building.

Normal smokestack operation. Photo courtesy of MMSD.

Normal smokestack operation. Photo courtesy of MMSD.

Exhaust rising up vents on the Milorganite building. Photo courtesy of MMSD.

Exhaust rising up vents on the Milorganite building. Photo courtesy of MMSD.

Map courtesy of MMSD.

Map courtesy of MMSD.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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