Demanding Answers, Compensation, and Investigation Following MMSD/Veolia Overflow Failure
Statement of Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic
As we approach the one year August anniversary of the historic and devastating floods in Milwaukee, I am angry and deeply disappointed to have just learned that a blocked overflow within the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) system, possibly operated and maintained by Veolia, may have contributed to the extraordinary flooding experienced by Bay View residents and businesses.
For months, residents came before the City and shared heartbreaking stories of thousands of dollars in losses, destroyed furnaces and water heaters, standing water in basements, damaged personal property, and even basement floors that buckled and cracked under the pressure of flooding.
At the April 29th Public Works Committee meeting, I joined residents in demanding answers from MMSD. As I said then, ‘We cannot normalize these incidents.’ Yet today we are left asking even more serious questions:
• What exactly failed?
• When did MMSD and Veolia first learn of the blocked overflow?
• When did repairs begin?
• Why weren’t impacted residents, businesses, and City officials informed immediately?
The people of Bay View deserve clear answers and accountability.
I am calling on MMSD and Veolia to immediately provide a public timeline of events, including when the failure was discovered, what actions were taken, and when the City was notified.
I am also demanding immediate restitution by MMSD for impacted homeowners, renters, and businesses, including Mothership and Wrought Washer, who should not be left paying for damages caused by failures in public infrastructure. They pay for this service and it failed them miserably.
In addition, I am requesting immediate investigations and audits by the City Comptroller and Inspector General, and I am asking the City Attorney to evaluate all legal options available to the City and affected residents.
The City should also review whether future payments to MMSD should be withheld until residents receive answers and a plan for compensation.
Residents have suffered enough. They deserve the truth, they deserve compensation, and they deserve accountability.
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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