Waukesha goes from groundwater to Lake Michigan water running through their faucets - WISN Milwaukee

Waukesha goes from groundwater to Lake Michigan water running through their faucets

The 20-year, $300 million project is in its final stages, with a likely transition date approaching

Soon, more than 70,000 people in Waukesha will go from having groundwater run through their faucets to Lake Michigan water.

The 20-year, $300 million project is to combat a history of unsafe levels of radium in its water. The 35 miles of newly installed pipelines will bring fresh lake water to Waukesha residents and then return it back to Lake Michigan after it's treated.

When will the transition happen

Waukesha Water Utility General Manager Dan Duchniak told 12 News on Sept. 1 that the project is in the final stages. They are testing the new systems before the official switch later this month.

“We’re hopefully looking at the week of the 10th, probably later in that week is when we’ll look at that transition if everything goes right," Duchniak said.

He said the transition will start on the east side of Waukesha and move west. It's expected to last about five days for most customers. During that time, residents may notice some changes.

Is the water drinkable? Will it look, taste, or smell different?

“Whether it's groundwater or lake water, you’ll be able to consume the water. We’re just going to bump up that chlorine level, so people might notice that chlorine smell or chlorine taste," Duchniak said.

The new water rushing through the pipes may also briefly turn Waukesha resident's water red.

"Can you drink red water?" 12 News Hannah Hilyard asked Duchniak.

“You can absolutely. It’s basically, the red water is iron in the water, so it is safe to consume. It’s just aesthetically unpleasing," he replied.

The new water will have a different disinfectant in it. Waukesha Water Utility said it's still safe to consume, but it must be removed for kidney dialysis machines.

For more information on that, what the city recommends you do with your water softener, or the history of the project, click here.

The red water may pose a temporary problem for Paws for the Moment, a downtown Waukesha pet grooming shop.

"We really don't know for sure what to expect from it, you know, when it comes to grooming," employee Kim Ng told 12 News Friday.

But she said the switch comes with some benefits, too.

"They did tell us, on the good side, is that eventually our water will be softer, which for us will be good. We'll use less shampoo in the longer run," Ng said.